Penn State emails reveal decision not to turn in Sandusky

Penn State emails reveal decision not to turn in Sandusky

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. â€" Emails show that a former Penn State president agreed not to take allegations of child sexual abuse against former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky to authorities but that he worried university officials would be "vulnerable" for failing to report it, according to news reports.

The emails, first reported by NBC, came after a graduate assistant's 2001 report of seeing Sandusky sexually assaulting a boy in a team locker room shower, CNN said.

Sandusky was convicted late last month of 45 counts of sexually abusing 10 boys after the scandal emerged last year. It shook one of the most prominent sports programs in the country, one that had viewed itself as being above the ethics violations that plague many college sports teams.

The emails show that athletic director Tim Curley and retired vice president Gary Schultz intended to report the allegations, then reconsidered. Then-President Graham Spanier responded that he was "supportive" of their plan, but he worried they might "become vulnerable for not having reported it."

The scandal led to the firing of Spanier and revered Coach Joe Paterno and charges against Curley and Schultz, who are accused of failing to properly report suspected child abuse, and of perjury for their grand jury testimony. Schultz and Curley deny the allegations and have asked a judge to dismiss the charges. Spanier hasn't been charged. Paterno died in January of complications from lung cancer.

The CNN report cites an email from Schultz to Curley on Feb. 26, 2001, 16 days after graduate assistant Mike McQueary told Paterno about the shower assault. Schultz suggests bringing the allegation to the attention of Sandusky, Sandusky's charity for at-risk youth and the Department of Welfare, which investigates suspected child abuse, according to the report.

But the next night, Curley sent an email to Spanier, saying that after thinking about it more and talking to Paterno, he was "uncomfortable" with that plan and wanted to work with Sandusky before contacting authorities, the report said.

If Sandusky is cooperative, Curley's email said, "we would work with him.... If not, we do not have a choice and will inform the two groups," according to the report.

Spanier wrote back and agreed with that approach, calling it "humane and a reasonable way to proceed," according to the report. But he also worried about the consequences.

"The only downside for us is if the message [to Sandusky] isn't 'heard' and acted upon and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it, but that can be assessed down the road," the email said, according to CNN.

Spanier's attorney didn't immediately return a call from the Associated Press on Saturday.

The lawyer for Paterno's family said Saturday the coach didn't interfere with or attempt to compromise the investigation into the allegations against Sandusky. Wick Sollers said in a statement that Paterno testified truthfully and to the best of his recollection before the grand jury.

Sollers said the emails didn't originate with Paterno or go to him because he never used email.

Schultz's and Curley's lawyers on Saturday echoed comments by Gov. Tom Corbett about the need for a solid case before charging Sandusky. Corbett began the investigation in 2009 when he was attorney general.

"For Curley, Schultz, Spanier and Paterno, the responsible and 'humane' thing to do was, like Gov. Corbett, to carefully and responsibly assess the best way to handle vague, but troubling allegations," the lawyers said. "Faced with tough situations, good people try to do their best to make the right decisions."