LATEST ON THE PENN STATE SCANDAL
12:56 p.m. – There is a report from the Easton Express-Times that Penn State University president Graham Spanier will be fired or resign by the end of today. The paper quotes a source close to the board of trustees as saying that Executive Vice President and Provost Rodney A. Erickson will be named interim president.
10:48 a.m. – Joe Paterno released a statement, confirming that he will retired at the end of the season. In the statement, Paterno said “I wish I had done more.”
8:57 a.m. – The Harrisburg Patriot-News reports that the Penn State Board of Trustees is in turmoil in the wake of the scandal.
6:46 a.m. – This has been a very difficult few days for Penn State fans, students, and alumni. At Grantland, Michael Weinreb writes eloquently about growing up in Happy Valley and what the events of the last few days have meant.
Tuesday, November 8
11:10 p.m. – According to the Associated Press, Penn State’s board of trustees will appoint a special committee to investigate the “circumstances” that led to the scandal and any possible cover-up by Joe Paterno.
7:03 p.m. – Joe Paterno was met by many students in front of his home, coming to support their football coach. Paterno spoke with students from his window before he went outside to speak with others.
Onward State has a photo gallery here.
A report came out in the lunch hour on Tuesday that longtime Penn State coach Joe Paterno will be shown the door in the wake of the child sex abuse scandal. Read about that here, and click here for John Miller’s reaction to the news.
12:18 p.m. – The New York Times reports that university officials are preparing to oust Paterno, perhaps in just a couple of days.
11:43 a.m. – The Associated Press reports that Penn State has canceled Joe Paterno’s weekly press conference.
10:41 a.m. – CNBC Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell gives Penn State an “F” in Crisis Management 101. It seems the entire University administration is unaware of the nationwide reaction to the scandal and their role in it. At CNBC.com, Rovell expresses shock that Penn State could be so unprepared.
“How is this possible? How can the state be working on a two-year investigation and Spanier and Paterno, in their first public comments, act as if they were blindsided?
8:38 a.m. – This is the story that everyone is talking about this morning: Sarah Ganim of the Patriot-News interviews the mothers of two of Jerry Sandusky’s alleged victims. One of the women told Ganim that she flipped out when she heard that AD Tim Curley and SVP Gary Schultz knew of the allegations against Sandusky but did nothing:
““I’m infuriated that people would not report something like that,” she said. “I still can’t believe it. I’m appalled. I’m shocked. I’m stunned. There’s so many words. I’m very mad. They could have prevented this from happening.”
6:35 a.m. – The Harrisburg Patriot-News has an editorial this morning in which it says Penn State president Graham Spanier must go, and Joe Paterno shouldn’t be far behind.
12:01 a.m. – Tuesday will be the day suddenly embattled Penn State football coach Joe Paterno faces the media. However, if the folks at Penn State have their way, Paterno will only answer questions about Saturday’s upcoming game with Nebraska. The athletic department issued a news release Monday evening saying Paterno would only address football questions at his weekly news conference. It remains to be seen whether reporters will adhere to the rules.
On Monday, America reacted with shock, sadness and anger to the child sex abuse scandal that has erupted since the weekend allegations against long time Penn State assistant Jerry Sandusky. Words such as “vile,” “outrageous,” and “repugnant” filled newspaper columns and talk show airwaves.
In State College, state officials ripped into the way Penn State officials handled the allegations Sandusky’s alleged abuse. Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said that even after Sandusky admitted inappropriate contact in 1998 to the Penn State campus police, “Nothing happened,” said Noonan.“Nothing stopped.”
Attorney General Linda Kelly said “I don’t think I’ve ever been associated with a case where that type of eyewitness identification of sex acts taking place where the police weren’t called.”
Earlier Monday, Athletic Director Tim Curley, on administrative leave, and Gary Schultz, who resigned Sunday from his post as the university’s top financial administrator, surrendered to police. They were released on $75,000 bail each.
Investigators into the Sandusky case are asking other potential victims to come forward.
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