Emails appear to show Paterno, Penn State hid Sandusky abuse
Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, leaves court in handcuffs after being convicted in his child sex abuse trial at the Centre County Courthouse on June 22, 2012 in Bellefonte, Pa.
Emails between Penn State officials appear to prove they tried to hide Jerry Sandusky’s child sexual abuse as early as 2001, CNN said, confirming earlier reports that those involved might have lied to a grand jury.
The network said it has read exchanges between PSU president Graham Spanier, vice-president Gary Schultz and athletic director Tim Curley that talk about a “humane” approach to the situation.
They agreed to speak with Sandusky, the assistant football coach’s charitable foundation and the Department of Welfare.
“This is a more humane and upfront way to handle this,” Schultz wrote, according to CNN.
The emails came about two weeks after assistant Mike McQueary told coach Joe Paterno he witnessed Sandusky raping a boy in the team’s showers.
CNN reported that police didn’t receive reports about the abuse, and that Sandusky assaulted four boys after the shower incident.
Spanier resigned while Schultz and Curley face charges of perjury and failing to report child abuse; Paterno died earlier this year.
A jury convicted Sandusky on 45 charges on June 22; a judge will sentence him within 90 days of the conviction.
The CNN investigation mimics one from the Philadelphia Inquirer, which reported on June 11 that Spanier could face criminal charges.
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Penn State hired a private investigator who found similar email, according to the Inquirer.
In their grand jury testimony, Schultz and Curley said they were told of Sandusky’s “horseplay” with a boy; they claim to have not known sexual abuse was involved.
According to the Inquirer, Spanier could face charges.
“The commonwealth has come into possession of computer data … in the form of emails between Schultz, Curley, and others that contradict their testimony before the grand jury,” the filing said, according to the Inquirer.
The New York Times is also reporting that Paterno played a larger role in the decision than previously stated.
According to the newspaper’s sources, Paterno convinced university officials not to report the abuse.
Defense lawyers said the Penn State administrators tried “to carefully and responsibly assess the best way to handle vague, but troubling allegations,” The Times reported.
“Faced with tough situations, good people try to do their best to make the right decisions,” the statement said.
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