STATE COLLEGE, CENTRE COUNTY - With convicted child sex abuser Jerry Sandusky behind bars, people want to know what Penn State officials knew and when. In particular, they want to know whether they covered up the incident with Sandusky and a boy in the shower in 2001.
CNN has been given details of four reported email exchanges from sources with knowledge of the case. The e-mails are between Penn State President Graham Spanier, Vice President Gary Schultz, and Athletic Director Tim Curley discussing the 2001 shower incident where Grad Assistant Mike McQueary said he saw Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy.
The email chain starts 16 days after McQueary told Coach Joe Paterno about what he's seen in the shower. The e-mails don't mention Sandusky by name, instead calling him "the subject" and "person."
The emails initially detail a three part plan to talk with Sandusky, the Second Mile, and the Department of Public Welfare. Curley later changes his mind and said he wanted to talk things over with Sandusky and work with him before deciding whether to contact child welfare. He allegedly referenced a conversation with Paterno that may have changed his mind. He also said that he knew about another incident with Sandusky and a boy in the showers from 1998. Curley and Schultz both testified later that they did not know about that incident. They now face perjury charges for those statements.
The emails allegedly show the Spanier agreed with the new course of action.
Authorities say records show suspicions about Sandusky in 2001 were never reported to any outside agency.
Spanier's lawyer did not return repeated calls for comment. Lawyers for Curley and Schultz provided this statement to CNN: "as Governor Tom Corbett stated, "if we were going to do this case, we had to have the best possible case to go against somebody like Mr. Sandusky who was ... Loved by everybody." The lawyers add: For Curley, Schultz, Spanier and Paterno, the responsible and "humane" thing to do was, like Governor Corbett, to carefully and responsibly assess the best way to handle vague, but troubling allegations. Faced with tough situations, good people try to do their best to make the right decisions."
A spokesman for Joe Paterno's family says Paterno did the right thing, reported to his boss what McQueary told him. The spokesman said quote: "everyone should want the truth... and Joe told the truth."
Several state and federal investigations remain underway.
Meanwhile, Tom Kline, the attorney for Victim # 5 said, "Penn State is responsible for their conduct. We are assessing their conduct. I have said that while Penn State has reached out to me and to other victims and their attorneys, the fact of the matter is that we can't begin to talk to Penn State until we have full and complete disclosure. And this, I would believe, is the tip of the iceberg."
CNN has been given details of four reported email exchanges from sources with knowledge of the case. The e-mails are between Penn State President Graham Spanier, Vice President Gary Schultz, and Athletic Director Tim Curley discussing the 2001 shower incident where Grad Assistant Mike McQueary said he saw Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy.
The email chain starts 16 days after McQueary told Coach Joe Paterno about what he's seen in the shower. The e-mails don't mention Sandusky by name, instead calling him "the subject" and "person."
The emails initially detail a three part plan to talk with Sandusky, the Second Mile, and the Department of Public Welfare. Curley later changes his mind and said he wanted to talk things over with Sandusky and work with him before deciding whether to contact child welfare. He allegedly referenced a conversation with Paterno that may have changed his mind. He also said that he knew about another incident with Sandusky and a boy in the showers from 1998. Curley and Schultz both testified later that they did not know about that incident. They now face perjury charges for those statements.
The emails allegedly show the Spanier agreed with the new course of action.
Authorities say records show suspicions about Sandusky in 2001 were never reported to any outside agency.
Spanier's lawyer did not return repeated calls for comment. Lawyers for Curley and Schultz provided this statement to CNN: "as Governor Tom Corbett stated, "if we were going to do this case, we had to have the best possible case to go against somebody like Mr. Sandusky who was ... Loved by everybody." The lawyers add: For Curley, Schultz, Spanier and Paterno, the responsible and "humane" thing to do was, like Governor Corbett, to carefully and responsibly assess the best way to handle vague, but troubling allegations. Faced with tough situations, good people try to do their best to make the right decisions."
A spokesman for Joe Paterno's family says Paterno did the right thing, reported to his boss what McQueary told him. The spokesman said quote: "everyone should want the truth... and Joe told the truth."
Several state and federal investigations remain underway.
Meanwhile, Tom Kline, the attorney for Victim # 5 said, "Penn State is responsible for their conduct. We are assessing their conduct. I have said that while Penn State has reached out to me and to other victims and their attorneys, the fact of the matter is that we can't begin to talk to Penn State until we have full and complete disclosure. And this, I would believe, is the tip of the iceberg."
Comments
Why should this surprise anyone. NONE of them did the right thing. The University, as a WHOLE, decided their football program was more important than the lives of young, innocent children.
FREDRICK F.
July 1, 2012 at 3:17 pm
Sharon A.
July 1, 2012 at 1:14 pm
Charlotte Ames is the area's only local Health Reporter and brings you the latest medical health news weeknights. You can catch Healthcast on WTAJ News at 5:00pm and her Health Headlines report on WTAJ News at 5:30pm.