PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Penn State’s report about its handling of Jerry Sandusky includes a series of emails among school administrators following two accusations against Sandusky in 1998 and 2001. In one of the emails, one official worries about becoming “vulnerable” if they fail to report an allegation.
After athletic director Tim Curley opted not report Sandusky for an alleged assault of a boy in the football locker room showers in 2001, school vice president Gary Schultz called the decision to try and get Sandusky to seek professional help “humane.” But he also noted that “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.”
The emails also point to coach Joe Paterno being aware of a 1998 case in which Sandusky was confronted about showering with another boy.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Joe Paterno’s family says the late coach never would have protected his former assistant Jerry Sandusky to avoid bad publicity.
A statement from the family Thursday also says Paterno “never interfered with any investigation.”
An internal investigation by former FBI director Louis Freeh says Paterno and other high-ranking Penn State officials concealed sex abuse reports regarding Sandusky to avoid criticism of the university and football program.
Freeh’s report found Paterno had a conversation with athletic director Tim Curley in 2001 just before university officials decided against informing law enforcement of a sex abuse allegation.
Freeh said he did not know the content of that 2001 conversation but that it was “the only known, intervening factor” between an agreement that the incident should be reported and the change of course.
BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) – The president of Nike Inc. says he has decided to change the name of the Joe Paterno Child Development Center, a child care facility at the company’s headquarters.
CEO Mark Parker said Thursday he was deeply saddened by the news coming of the Louis Freeh investigation on the child sex abuse scandal at Penn State. Freeh says Paterno and other top school officials disregarded the welfare of Jerry Sandusky’s victims as they failed to report abuse allegations against the longtime assistant coach.
Says Parker: “It is a terrible tragedy that children were unprotected from such abhorrent crimes.”
Nike founder Phil Knight, who defended Paterno at the coach’s memorial service, says “it appears Joe made missteps that led to heartbreaking consequences.”
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Coroner’s officials say Junior Seau’s family has donated some of his brain tissue for research amid questions about whether damage from his football career contributed to his decision to commit suicide.
Sarah Gordon of the San Diego County medical examiner’s office said Thursday that the preserved tissue held by the office was recently released to the National Institutes of Health for study. She says it was done at the request of Seau’s family and has no information about what type of study will be performed.
The 43-year-old former NFL linebacker shot himself in the chest at his Oceanside home in May, less than 2 1/2 years after ending his Pro Bowl career.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) – The daughter of University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban is asking a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by a one-time friend over a sorority fight.
A lawyer for Kristen Saban filed a motion Thursday claiming the 2010 altercation wasn’t her fault. She identifies the real aggressor as the woman who filed the suit, Sarah Grimes.
Kristin Saban also claims she didn’t cause any of the injuries that Grimes claims she suffered.
Grimes sued last month seeking at least $10,000 from Kristen Saban over a fight that she claims began over a Facebook post after a night of drinking in Tuscaloosa.
The lawsuit doesn’t mention the Alabama football coach and a representative is declining comment.
A university spokeswoman says Kristen Saban remains a student at Alabama.