Source: Penn State to be hit with 'significant, unprecedented' penalties

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Ross Levitt and Susan Candiotti, CNN


(CNN) -- Penn State University will face "significant, unprecedented penalties" from the National Collegiate Athletic Association, but it will not face the so-called "death penalty" that would have prevented the football team from playing in the fall, a source familiar with the case tells CNN.

But the source says the school might have preferred a one-year suspension because of the severity of the scholarship losses, postseason sanctions and other penalties the source wouldn't specify.

"If I were Penn State or any other school and were given both options, I'd pick the death penalty," the source said, adding the range of sanctions "is well beyond what has been done in the past" and "far worse than closing the program for a year."

The news comes the same day the statue of the late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno was removed from outside the campus' stadium.

The NCAA will punish the school following the Freeh Report, which detailed findings of an investigation into the scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse of children. Sandusky, 68, was convicted in late June of 45 of the 48 sexual abuse counts he faced, involving 10 victims.

The investigation was led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, and the report held four top Penn State officials, including Paterno, responsible for failing to stop the abuse.

Everything the NCAA "needed to know was detailed in the Freeh report," according to the source.

On Monday in Indianapolis, the NCAA will hold a press conference "to announce NCAA corrective and punitive measures for The Pennsylvania State University," it said in a statement.

The NCAA last imposed the so-called "death penalty" to a football team in 1987 against Southern Methodist University's program in the wake of a payments-to-athletes scandal.

The source says the sanctions "will really paint a picture that essentially says that leadership failure and systemic failures can't be tolerated."

NCAA President Mark Emmert wrote a letter to Penn State President Rodney Erickson on November 17, 2011, that included four questions he wanted the university to answer.

According to the source, the NCAA felt the questions were answered by the Freeh report and therefore could act before the university responded.

The source wasn't sure if the university has been made aware of the penalties yet, but says the university was not involved in the decision. It was "not a negotiated process," the source says.

While not divulging specifics, the source said, "The penalties go well beyond the loss of a scholarship or not being able to go to a bowl game."

The source also said the plan includes provisions to provide "leeway" and "minimize the impact" on current players who had nothing to do with the Sandusky scandal.

Also Sunday, in State College, Pennsylvania, the 900-pound bronze statue of Paterno was removed. Penn State President Rodney Erickson said in a statement the statue is being stored in a "secure location."

The statue was removed exactly six months after Paterno, the winningest coach in Division I football history, died of lung cancer. Paterno had coached at Penn State for 61 years, 15 of them as an assistant. He died less than three months after he coached his last game, an October 29 victory over Illinois that gave him a record 409 wins.

Under Paterno's 46-season tenure as head coach, the Nittany Lions won two national championships, went undefeated five times, and finished in the top 25 national rankings 35 times.

The tribute to the coach, who died in January, had become an object of contention after the child rape scandal involving Sandusky.

However, Paterno's family said they believe taking down the statue serves no purpose.

"Tearing down the statue of Joe Paterno does not serve the victims of Jerry Sandusky's horrible crimes or help heal the Penn State community. We believe the only way to help the victims is to uncover the full truth," the family said in a statement.

"It is not the university's responsibility to defend or protect Joe Paterno. But they at least should have acknowledged that important legal cases are still pending and that the record on Joe Paterno, the board and other key players is far from complete," it added.

Dan Vecellio, a staff writer for the blog Black Shoe Diaries, said there were about 100 people who watched the statue taken down, put on a forklift and driven into the stadium through a loading-dock door.

The Freeh report found several Penn State officials concealed evidence that Sandusky had sexually abused minors. Freeh concluded that Paterno could have prevented further sexual abuse had he taken action.

"I now believe that, contrary to its original intention, coach Paterno's statue has become a source of division and an obstacle to healing in our university and beyond," Erickson said.

"I believe that, were it to remain, the statue will be a recurring wound to the multitude of individuals across the nation and beyond who have been the victims of child abuse," he added.

On Sunday, Penn State employees began placing fencing around the statue, as well as a tarp. Local and university police were at the scene, and some students gathered near the football field, Beaver Stadium.

Another tribute to Paterno -- the university library that bears his name -- will remain as it is, Erickson said.

"The library remains a tribute to Joe and Sue Paterno's commitment to Penn State's student body and academic success, and it highlights the positive impacts coach Paterno had on the university," he wrote.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) called Paterno "a powerful man who acted selfishly" who "deserves no public honors whatsoever."

"We're glad the statue is gone but that's just a tiny step forward," SNAP spokesman David Clohessy said in a statement. "We as a society must learn that a good way to deter child sex cover-ups is to punish, not praise, those who instigate such cover-ups."

Sandusky will be sentenced in September. His legal team has said it will appeal the convictions.

Two former university administrators are awaiting trial for their role in the scandal, and more charges are possible as the state's attorney general investigates what Penn State may have known about Sandusky's behavior.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

They should shut the place down

[deebakes]

The Joe Paterno statue was removed Sunday morning from its pedestal outside Beaver Stadium, and it will be stored in an unnamed "secure location," Penn State president Rodney Erickson announced. Erickson also said the Paterno name will remain on the university's library.

Shortly before dawn in State College, Pa., a work crew installed chain-link fences to barricade access to Porter Road outside Beaver Stadium and covered the fence with a blue tarp.

The work crew then removed the 7-foot, 900-pound bronze statue by forklift and placed it into the lower level of the stadium. Erickson released his highly sensitive decision to the public at 7 a.m. ET Sunday.

Penn State president Rodney Erickson, in a news release Sunday morning, called the Joe Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium "an obstacle to healing in our University and beyond." Complete statement

Workers lifted the 7-foot-tall statue off its base and used a forklift to move it into Beaver Stadium as the 100 to 150 students watched, some chanting, "We are Penn State."

The decision came 10 days after a scathing report by former FBI director Louis J. Freeh found that Paterno, with three other top Penn State administrators, had concealed allegations of child sexual abuse made against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. The Freeh report concluded their motive was to shield the university and its football program from negative publicity.

Meanwhile, the NCAA said that that it would levy "corrective and punitive measures" against Penn State. The organization announced Sunday that it would spell out the sanctions on Monday but disclosed no details.

The Paterno family issued a statement only hours later saying the statue's removal "does not serve the victims of Jerry Sandusky's horrible crimes or help heal the Penn State community."

"We believe the only way to help the victims is to uncover the full truth," said the family, which vowed its own investigation following the release of the Freeh report. The family called the report "the equivalent of an indictment -- a charging document written by a prosecutor -- and an incomplete and unofficial one at that."

A Paterno family spokesman told ESPN.com that Penn State has not been in communication with them about the statue's removal.

Paterno's widow, Sue, and two of the Paternos' children visited the statue Friday as students and fans lined up to get their pictures taken with the landmark. The statue, weighing more than 900 pounds, was built in 2001 in honor of Paterno's record-setting 324th Division I coaching victory and his "contributions to the university."

Erickson's decision to remove the statue but keep the Paterno name on the library appears to be the product of compromise. Keeping his name on the library does not entirely disconnect Penn State from Paterno's contributions -- from the millions of dollars he donated to his 61-year coaching career to the university's academic life.

Erickson said in recent days he had heard "many differing opinions" about the fate of the Paterno statue and the best way to "memorialize such a revered figure."

"I now believe that, contrary to is original intention, Coach Paterno's statue has become a source of division and an obstacle to healing in our university and beyond," Erickson said in his 592-word statement. "For that reason, I have decided that it is in the best interest of our university and public safety to remove the statue and store it in a secure location."

If the statue of Paterno, his right index finger raised in a No. 1 salute, had remained in its current location, Erickson said he believed it would "be a recurring wound to the multitude of individuals across the nation and beyond who have been the victims of child abuse."

Erickson's announcement came exactly six months after Paterno died.

Erickson acknowledged that his decision is bound to be an unpopular one in central Pennsylvania.

"I fully realize that my decision will not be popular in some Penn State circles, but I am certain it is the right and principled decision," he said.

Erickson did not say where the statue would be kept. He also did not say whether it would be later placed in a public place for viewing or placed into storage. Trustees over the past two days who have spoken with Erickson said two possible locations have been discussed: the Penn State sports museum and the library, which still bears the Paterno family name.

Erickson's decision comes at an especially sensitive time for the university. Trustees and administrators are the subject of an NCAA investigation, and several trustees have said that if the statue remained it could weigh as a negative symbol in the NCAA's discussions on a punishment for the football program.

Last week, trustees told each other in private conversations that the Paterno statue had become a negative symbol for the university that inevitably would have to be removed.

In many of those conversations, trustees and university officials said they hoped that if the statue would be removed, it would send a positive message to the NCAA that Penn State was "moving forward" past its symbolic embrace of Paterno.

But within one hour of the statue being removed Sunday morning the NCAA released its statement, at 9 a.m. ET.

Some critics had also called for the Paterno family name to be removed from the library. But Erickson said no.

"The library remains a tribute to Joe and Sue Paterno's commitment to Penn State's student body and academic success," Erickson said, "and it highlights the positive impacts Coach Paterno had on the university. Thus I feel strongly that the library's name should remain unchanged."

The issue of the appropriateness of the Paterno name on the library has received far less attention as the future of the statue, which was paid for by a group of about 35 alumni and their spouses in the late 1990s.

The issue quickly divided the country and the Penn State community. Commentators argued about the symbolism of the statue, from college coaching legends like Bobby Bowden to iconic stars of the football team like Franco Harris. For three days last week, a small plane pulled a banner over State College that read, "Take the statue down or we will." Several nights last week, a handful of students guarded the statue from vandals. On some days, a campus auxiliary police officer guarded the statue.

The bronze statue of Paterno has been a place for supporters to rally and pray since the coach's death on Jan. 22. One late night after Paterno died, one of his sons, Jay Paterno, visited the statue and had his photograph taken with fans. Supporters have placed flowers and signs at the statue's foot, most supportive of Paterno. On Friday, Joe Paterno's widow, Sue Paterno, visited the statue with her two daughters, accompanied by Harris and trustee Anthony Lubrano. The Paternos took pictures of the statue.

Late last week, the trustees and Erickson decided whether to remove statue should be an administration decision. As recently as Friday, some trustees expressed fury that the statue might be taken down.

"People want to kick Joe's bones," a longtime trustee said Friday. "It's outrageous."

What made the decision especially difficult for university officials was the Paternos' philanthropy to Penn State. He and his wife, Sue, donated more than $4.5 million to the university to help with the library's construction, and they have paid for scholarships.

The Freeh report found that Paterno, ousted longtime university president Graham Spanier, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz worked to keep the Sandusky child sexual abuse allegations from becoming public across a period of 14 years. Paterno and Spanier were fired in November by the Board of Trustees.

Erickson said the decision to remove the statute but keep the Paterno name on the library is one that "both recognizes the many contributions that Joe Paterno made to the academic life of our university while taking seriously the conclusions of the Freeh Report and the national issue of child sexual abuse. Today, as every day, our hearts go out to the victims."

Workers lifted the statue off its base and used a forklift to move it into Beaver Stadium as the 100 to 150 students watched, some chanting, "We are Penn State."

Many of those watching the removal stared in disbelief and at least one woman wept, while others expressed anger at the decision.

"I think it was an act of cowardice on the part of the university," Mary Trometter of Williamsport, who wore a shirt bearing Paterno's image. She said she felt betrayed by university officials, saying they promised openness but said nothing about the decision until just before the removal work began.

Dozens later gathered to watch and listen to the sound of sawing, scraping and shoveling as white-helmeted workers behind tarpaulins removed Paterno's name and various plaques from the walls behind where the statue had stood. Shortly before midday, all that appeared to remain was the bare concrete and stone.

Much of the work was hidden by blue tarps strung across temporary chain link fences while barricades kept observers on the other side of the street. Few watching said they understood the decision and feared what kind of punishment the NCAA would pile on.

Derek Leonard, 31, a university construction project coordinator who grew up in the area, said the construction workers on the project told him it was like watching a funeral when the statue was lowered onto the truck and then rolled away. He didn't completely agree with the decision but worried more that the NCAA would shut down the football program.

"It's going to kill our town," he said.

Richard Hill, 67, West Chester, a Penn State alumnus, said, "If you punish the football program or Joe Paterno -- they're tied together -- this town is going to suffer. The revenue does an awful lot to keep this town viable and lively."

Colby Walk, 40, who grew up in the Penn State area, wondered why an NCAA punishment was necessary, given the criminal charges, officials fired or forced out, Paterno's death and now the statue's removal.

"It's kind like we already have the death penalty," he said, referring to the worry that the NCAA would shut down the Penn State football program.

Diane Byerly, who traveled from Harrisburg in the morning when she heard the statue was coming down, wondered if the university was trying to make a symbolic gesture in hopes of lessening the NCAA's penalty.

"Maybe it was an olive branch," said Byerly, 63, a onetime season-ticket holder whose father and son went to Penn State. "Maybe they'll go softer on us."

The statue's sculptor, Angelo Di Maria, said he was upset to hear it had been taken down.

"It's like a whole part of me is coming down. It's just an incredibly emotional process," he said.

"When things quiet down, if they do quiet down, I hope they don't remove it permanently or destroy it," Di Maria said. "His legacy should not be completely obliterated and thrown out. ... He was a good man. It wasn't that he was an evil person. He made a mistake."

[Southern Belle]

The Paterno family has profited from the cover up by the deals Paterno made with Penn State after he figured out he could possibly be in trouble but before the news broke. They need to STFU.

[Acid Trip]

They should shut the place down

:tup:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Nick Bromberg | Dr. Saturday


NCAA President Mark Emmert announced sanctions against Penn State University's football program Monday morning in light of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal and the findings of the Freeh Report investigation.

The details of the punishment:


Four year postseason ban
10 initial scholarship losses and 20 per year for four years
$60 million fine
All wins from 1998-2011 vacated
Five year probationary period


The NCAA's action in a case like this is unprecedented, as this was a legal issue -- there was no NCAA investigation. Emmert called this a "very distinct and very unique circumstance." And while the NCAA didn't invoke the death penalty like was given to SMU 25 years ago, it's a crippling blow to the program. Under former coach Joe Paterno, the team's most consecutive seasons without a bowl appearance was three. (You can read the entire list of sanctions from the NCAA here.)

After the vacated wins, Paterno's win total goes from 409 to 298. The $60 million fine will go into an endowment for charitable programs that serve the victims of sexual abuse. The NCAA also reserves the right for further individual punishments after all criminal proceedings are finished.

Penn State football players will be allowed to transfer without sitting out a season.

On Sunday, Paterno's statue was taken down in front of Beaver Stadium after Penn State officials in the days prior said a decision hadn't been made about the statue's future. It was removed via forklift and put into storage.

Sandusky, a former assistant coach for Penn State who also ran The Second Mile, a charity for at-risk youth, was convicted on June 22 of 45 of 48 counts of sexual abuse. Many of his victims knew Sandusky through the program.

The Freeh Report, released on July 12th, concluded that school officials covered up the Sandusky issue, saying "the most saddening finding by the Special Investigative Counsel is the total and consistent disregard by the most senior leaders at Penn State the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims." The Paterno family, which has said that Joe Paterno wasn't part of any cover-up, responded to the Freeh Report by conducting their own investigation.

[Acid Trip]

The details of the punishment:

Four year postseason ban
10 initial scholarship losses and 20 per year for four years
$60 million fine
All wins from 1998-2011 vacated
Five year probationary period


Grrrrr. They got off too easy. I know that shutting down the entire university screams "scapegoat" but what Penn St did was unfathomable. They put their football program above the livelihoods of children. That's unacceptable on every level.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Grrrrr. They got off too easy. I know that shutting down the entire university screams "scapegoat" but what Penn St did was unfathomable. They put their football program above the livelihoods of children. That's unacceptable on every level.

I was all for them getting the 'death penalty'. If a program ever deserved that kind of punishment, it is Penn State.

[Hal-9000]

I have a Penn State Nittany Lions jersey....

and will never wear it again :|


I agree with the last few posts....the Uni covered up a known crime and people suffered because of it.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Grrrrr. They got off too easy. I know that shutting down the entire university screams "scapegoat" but what Penn St did was unfathomable. They put their football program above the livelihoods of children. That's unacceptable on every level.

It very well could be the end to them, along with the money loss, I imagine there will be a significant drop in registrations.

[Muddy]

This Sandusky fellow is the devil..

[PorkChopSandwiches]

And it sounds like a lot of the rest of the staff is pretty horrible as well

[Muddy]

I have people that went there.. They are devastated by this..