Penn St. trustees seek way forward amid scandal

A students walks in front of the Old Main building on the Penn State campus Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, in State College, Pa. / AP Photo/Matt Rourke

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The arduous task of rebuilding Penn State's shattered image began Friday with a meeting of the university's board of trustees — the group that fired football coach Joe Paterno and President Graham Spanier this week amid a child sex abuse case against a former team assistant.

In front of an overflow crowd at a meeting that was moved from a hotel boardroom to a ballroom to accommodate more people, the trustees opened with Chairman Steve Garban welcoming interim President Rod Erickson. Gov. Tom Corbett was also on hand to help the board navigate a course through the turmoil.

Garban pledged to support Erickson as the board works "for the future of this institution that we respect and love."

Paterno and Spanier were fired Wednesday in the fallout of a shocking grand jury report alleging repeated, illicit contact between retired assistant coach Jerry Sandusky and boys as young as 10.

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Without mentioning Spanier or Paterno, Erickson told trustees that their deliberate and decisive action had set a course for the university's future.

Erickson said that his heart aches for the victims and their families, and that his role will be to restore confidence in the school's future, adhere to the highest standards of honesty and integrity and let Penn Staters know the university's future is still bright.

"I know we can do this. We are resilient; we are a university that will rebuild the trust and confidence that so many people have had in us for so many years," Erickson said.

He also reiterated that the trustees will vote to form a special commission to investigate the allegations of wrongdoing, an initiative already announced this week.

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The board adjourned Friday without voting on the committee, but Garban said Kenneth Frazier, the CEO of pharmaceutical company Merck, had volunteered to lead the committee. Ronald Tomalis, a trustee and state education secretary, volunteered to be vice chairman.

Paterno and Spanier were fired four days after a grand jury report charged Sandusky with a series of sexual assaults stretching back to the late 1990s.

The grand jury report alleges Sandusky assaulted eight boys, including one he allegedly raped in the university's football facility shower. Much of the alleged inappropriate contact with seven victims happened on Penn State's campus, where Sandusky maintained an office as an emeritus professor following his retirement.

The university expected such an overflow crowd that the trustees meeting was moved to the larger space — and it still didn't appear to be enough room for the throng of reporters and photographers who have descended on State College.

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But following the opening platitudes, the board began with routine business, discussing enrollment figures.

The university as a whole, however, has a long way to go before anything can be considered routine now that Paterno, whose 46 years leading the Nittany Lions turned him into an icon in the area known as Happy Valley and beyond, is gone. The school named defensive coordinator Tom Bradley interim coach on Thursday.

Sandusky served as Paterno's top defensive assistant for more than two decades and at one time was considered his heir apparent. But he abruptly retired in 1999, around the time the earliest assault in the grand jury report allegedly happened.

Authorities said Sandusky met many of his alleged victims through The Second Mile, a charity he founded to help at-risk youth.

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Joe Paterno, 1926-2012

Athletic director Tim Curley and university vice president Gary Schultz have been charged with perjury and failure to report the 2002 assault to police, as required by state law.

All three maintain their innocence.

Paterno is not a target of the criminal investigation, having fulfilled his legal requirement by reporting what then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary told him to Curley and Schultz. But the state police commissioner called Paterno's failure to contact police or follow up on the incident a lapse in "moral responsibility."

Paterno has acknowledged that he should have done more but has not said why he didn't go to the police, nor has he said whether he was aware of any earlier alleged assaults. Aside from a few brief comments outside his house and two statements, Paterno has not spoken publicly since Sandusky was indicted.

According to the grand jury, McQueary told the grand jury that he saw Sandusky sodomizing a boy of about 10 in the showers at the Penn State football building in March 2002. McQueary later told Paterno, Curley and Schultz what he'd seen, according to the grand jury report.

Curley and Schultz — as well as Paterno — testified that they were told that Sandusky behaved inappropriately in that 2002 incident, but not to the extent of McQueary's graphic account to the grand jury.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly declined to say the same thing about Spanier.

The Nittany Lions face Nebraska on Saturday in an important matchup of Top 25 teams that will have postseason implications. Many fans are planning a "blue out" — rather than the usual "white out" — where attendees will don blue in a show of support for the victims.

McQueary, now the wide receivers coach, remains on the staff but will not work Saturday after school officials reported he has received multiple threats for going to his bosses instead of police.

[vista8635]

Who killed former Centre County District Attorney, Ray Gricar?

[smittyc]

There is no doubt the FBI has been called and Sanduckys DNA is being run through their systems. The Bureau is not dumb, having two recent incidences of pedophilia within the last year turn up at highter institutions of learning involving leadership they are also looking at Sanduckys computer to see if he is linked in with this crowd of evil doers. I just hope that other unknown victims were not harmed or even murdered because of this incident.

[revile]

Is it legally relevant that there were almost certainly under-aged students attending Penn State in between 2002 and last week? (Were any athletes who would have likely been in the same athletic facilities that Sandusky had access to under the age of 18)? Granted, 17 year olds don't fit his victim profile, but could this still be considered reckless endangerment of minors (allowing an accused sex offender access to a school)?

[boblanderson]

The Trustees really screwed this up. Coach Paterno, although he had fulfilled his responsibility by reporting, had "sucked it up" and retired at the end of the season. I see no reason for the Trustees to terminate him, rather than try to convince the public that they were "doing the right thing". Sounds good, looks good on paper, etc. but, the wrong thing. Knee-jerk reaction?

[JavMD]

oh yes, i agree ! for example if something more serious, like a policeman fires his weapon and wounds or even kills the suspect or even and innocent bystander... you following me so far.. what happens.. administrative leave or re-assign until the INVESTIGATION is concluded ! Heck the Grand Jury even stated he followed the existing protocol reporting the problem to his superiors !

Knee jerk reaction, more like panic as the Board worries more about the lawsuits and money its going to cost them ! Fools...

Another analogy, quickly I can't think of something else, but take Coca Cola.. all the time and money put into the 'new Coke' formula and what happens. . they bring back the OLd original... HIGH Management screw-up... even NETFLICKS is it? screwed up on the pricing policy change? Went back to their old ! HIGH UPs can also screw up... and this time it gets no higher than the TRUSTEEss...

I want to see their 'meeting' minutes from 1999 and 2002. They should be held accountable ALSO ! ! ! !

[midwestkris]

Paterno was not fired for breaking a law. He was fired for not living up to standards for professional behavior. He did not stand for the core values of the institution. As a state employee, he failed the People of the state of Pennsylvania, as well as the children he didn't protect...he failed the university...and he failed himself. When it really mattered, he failed to take appropriate action. And that is cause for firing; people have been fired for much less.

[morriswise]

Nothing makes more enjoyable reading than ones written about the fall from grace of an icon of sexual respectability, the steeper the fall the more interesting the article. The seduction of young boys by Sandusky is keeping me awake; I need some sleep and would prefer to read articles that are less stimulating.

[tibiaornottibia]

JavMD - mindset, dude, mindset. Equating cheating on your wife and lying about it to covering up child rape (anyone who thinks Paterno would have but referred the case to his "superiors" had it been his grandchild is an idiot) may be your mindset, but hoping not that of most people.

[JavMD]

most people drink the Cool Aid tibiaornottibia, thats why a junior senator from Illinois speaking 'change' got elected President. And now on the job training has put more people unemployed, in poverty and continue war in Afghan than any of his... 'change' promises.

Again.. mindset 1999-2002 HR as in Human Resources preached over and over again because of the years of female-male harassment, report to HR , report to HR, sorry tibia... Joe did what he was suppose to and the Grand Jury 'approved' of it. and that is the 'facts'

I hope you're not on a jury ... just the facts maaam

[tibiaornottibia]

As I said, "idiot". If you're referring to the Cool Aid (sic) you Paterno sycophants are drinking, keep on swallowing.

[Aleximia]

Can anyone tell me what it cost Penn St to terminate Mr. Paterno's contract? Since he is not a suspect and is not accused of wrong doing (maybe moral but not actual)he had a contract and they had to abide by its terms. I was just wondering what that was and what it cost the University.

[JavMD]

Read the first, the very first Vice Chair public press conference Wed night to 'fire' Paterno, in question by reporters he says: he did NOT know why Paterno was fired but they wanted to go in another direction.. words to that affect.

I agree on what grounds was he fired. No doubt the LAWYERS everywhere are chomping on the bit on this fiasco, escalated by incomp TRUSTEES both in 1999-2002 and especially now. PANIC BUTTON they pushed

[midwestkris]

He doesn't have to be guilty of a legal crime to be fired for "due cause." He may get something for termination, but that is not guaranteed.

[ssporleder]

NOW they are going to investigate?

Too little, too late when you consider that others had to suffer at the hand of this devil because NOBODY took action when they first knew about the hideous acts against a CHILD.

No conviction - yet - but there will be, and Sandusky should not be the only one to pay.

Outside sources should be investigating - not the school or anyone connected to it.

If this had happened to YOUR child, fellow posters, would you be supporting these individuals and praising them?

I think not.

[JavMD]

austinrunner, Paterno did NOT look the other way but immediately reported to his superiors... just like the 1990's Human Resource people required ! They were trained to handle these things ! Ask any HR person around in those days... They took all the lady sexual harassment complaints etc etc... made popular by one President Bill Clinton and Monica and Clarance being nominated to the Supreme Court as a Justice... Know history or repeat it. And after Jerry resigned in 1999 he was NOT reporting to Paterno (as a Supervisor) The Athletic Director was and he was sited by the GRAND JURY !

Read people read

[hiker79]

This is all crap the Trustees are there for the protect of the University ..They should all be removed. They also they knew of this is the late 90's. Pushing it off on everyone else is a joke .Then Corbett who was the AG didn't do anything not even saying gee maybe we should watch this guy...So more children where sent into the sad sad abuse...Why isn't anyone questioning this end.. Where was the protection from your elected officials....Now they want to cast blame on eveyrone they can and get away from this.. They knew then he was a bad man. Even if they couldn't prosecute him don't you think you would say maybe we should watch him close...But no we will blame these people and it's their fault.. They should just clean everyone out... Corbetts moral compass is just as broke as the rest .. The trustees are the worst..If they really cared about the university like they say they would all resign..How hard is it to see they knew.....And they did NOTHING...If the trustees did their job we wouldn't even be here at this junction and some children wouldn't have been put in a horrific situation....By the way I live in the area and I could care less about PSU football.

[JavMD]

I agree... those TRUSTEES are incompetent, taking their 'meeting' money and prestige of PENN STATE TRUSTEE ! bull ! GET THOSE MEETING MINUTES of 2002. Hang those TRUSTEES high ! They are incompetent. Knee jerk react... The GRAND JURY said JOE PA did the right thing reporting to his superiors !

[berbice1]

Mc Queary , a graduated assistant at the time, reported the incident and is currently an assistant coach? Was he the only graduate assistant who was promoted to assistant coach among the many graduate assistants who were part of the football program over the years? Did he get to be an assistant coach because of his merit or was it because he towed the line?