Cover-Up Reached Highest Levels of Penn State

When Penn State officials learned of disturbing allegations of sexual abuse by in the football training building in February 2001, they initially discussed going to state authorities with the information.

But after further discussion––the school officials and instead decided to close ranks and offer him “professional help” while also restricting him from entering school facilities with children.

with former Penn State President Graham Spanier even refusing to discuss the situation with school Board of Trustees after Sandusky was charged in November 2011.

paint a scandalous portrait rising to Penn State’s highest levels that likely led to the abuse of more young boys. Paterno and Spanier were fired days after the allegations of abuse broke, while former Athletic Director Tim Curley and former school Vice President Gary Schultz were charged with perjury.

The Freeh Report, which was released Thursday morning, shows that school officials were more worried about protecting the Penn State brand than the young boys Sandusky was molesting on campus. The investigation concludes that Paterno was somewhat involved in the discussions of how to handle the situation.

“The only downside for us is if the message isn’t ‘heard’ and acted upon, and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it,” Spanier wrote in an e-mail in late February 2001. “But that can be assessed down the road. The approach you outline is humane and a reasonable way to proceed.”

When allegations began bubbling up again with the start of the grand jury in early 2010, Spanier continued to deny anything was happening even while news outlets began reporting of the investigation. When one Board of Trustee member emailed Spanier in April 2011 inquiring about a newspaper story, the president brushed it off by saying the law would not allow him to comment.

“I’m not sure it is entirely our place to speak about this when we are only on the periphery of this,” Spanier wrote to the trustee in April 2011.

By October 2011, Sandusky was still allowed on campus and even attended Paterno’s final game as head coach. Sandusky watched the game from Beaver Stadium’s prestigious Nittany Lion Club.

Six days later, the state Attorney General’s office filed charges against Sandusky and arrested him the following day.

Even with charges filed, Spanier refused to brief the Board of Trustees on the situation. Instead, Spanier sent out a press release offering his “unconditional support” for Schultz and Curley, and that “protecting children requires the utmost vigilance.”

Four days later, Paterno and Spanier were fired, and the Penn State community was left to pick up the pieces from a decade-long cover-up that investigators believe led to the molestation of more young boys.

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