STATE COLLEGE, Pa.—The Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees and Dr. Graham Spanier announced Wednesday that, effective immediately, Dr. Spanier is no longer president of the university. Additionally, the board fired Joe Paterno.
The firings were prompted by allegations that Penn State’s former football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually abused at least eight young boys over the span of 15 years.
Thousands of students protested the sacking of Paterno, reports Reuters. Much of their ire was directed at the media. A TV truck was overturned by the rioters. Police used pepper spray and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Every local police department in the county contributed officers to the effort to control the crowd, along with state police and the county sheriff’s department, reports Good Morning America.
Paterno will not be head coach for this season’s final game, which is scheduled for this Saturday.
The board has named Dr. Rodney A. Erickson, executive vice president and provost, as the interim president of the university. Tom Bradley, assistant coach, has been named interim head football coach.
The U.S. Department of Education has launched a probe into whether Penn State violated the Clery Act when it did not report the allegations to the proper authorities.
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