Penn State President Ousted Amid Sex Abuse Scandal

It's official: Graham Spanier is no longer president of Penn State University after a 16-year tenure.

In an emergency meeting Wednesday, Penn State's Board of Trustees unanimously decided that it was not in the best interest of the school for Spanier and longtime head football coach Joe Paterno to continue working there in the wake of a massive sexual abuse scandal at the university.

Spanier, a sociologist by training, had been president of the university since 1995. It was revealed this week that during Spanier's time as the head of the school, former Nittany Lions defensive coach Jerry Sandusky allegedly sexually abused at least nine children on and off the Penn State campus. According to an explosive Grand Jury report released Saturday, Spanier was informed that Sandusky had allegedly anally raped a child on campus in 2002. However, the then-president took no further action beyond banning Sandusky from campus -- a ruling that ultimately went unenforced. Spanier maintains he was only made aware of the full extent of the charges against Sandusky last month. (See a full timeline of the scandal here.)

In a statement released after his ouster was announced, Spanier wrote that he was "heartbroken to think that any child may have been hurt" and that he has "deep convictions about the need to protect children and youth." He wrote that he would "never hesitate to report a crime if I had any suspicion that one had been committed." Read the full statement here.

The scandal has already cost two other top officials their jobs. Athletic Director Tim Curley and Senior Vice President Gary Schultz resigned from their positions this week. Earlier Wednesday, the school's board told Spanier he could resign or be fired. (Read about the key players in the scandal here.)

The Department of Education announced Wednesday that it will launch full investigation into the events that have transpired at Penn State.

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Comments

[Lohikaarme]

08:37 AM on 11/11/2011

No wonder that in ranking of universities,

http://www.usnews.com/education/worlds-best-universities-rankings/top-400-universities-in-the-world/sort+university_name/sortdir+asc?page=6

University of Pennsylvania is ranked number 9 (they don't care much about "college sports") and Penn State is ranked number 94 ("college sports" is king).

[trs0578]

12:59 PM on 11/10/2011

HERES WHAT the PA laws says" Staff members of public or private agencies, institutions and facilities. Board regulated practitioners who are staff members of a medical or other public or private institution, school, facility or agency, and who, in the course of their employment, occupation or practice of their profession, come into contact with children shall immediately notify the person in charge of the institution, school, or agency when they have reasonable cause to suspect on the basis of their professional or other training or experience, that a child coming before them in their professional or official capacity is a victim of child abuse. Upon notification by the Board regulated practitioner, the person in charge or the designated agent shall assume the responsibility and have the legal obligation to report or cause a report to be made

AND THE LAW Under 23 Pa.C.S. § 6318 , a Board regulated practitioner who participates in good faith in the making of a report, shall have immunity from civil and criminal liability that might result by reason of the Board regulated practitioner’s actions. For the purpose of any civil or criminal proceeding, the good faith of the Board regulated practitioner shall be presumed. The Board will uphold the same good faith presumption in any disciplinary proceeding that might result by reason of a Board regulated practitioner’s actions in participating in good faith in the making of a report.

Joe reported it just like to law says.

[IrieMoon]

01:38 PM on 11/10/2011

Yes he reported it like the law says.

However, when he saw that it was not stopped and that the person responsible did not do anything about it he should have went to a higher authority. Joe has a lot of influence in the State College area and even within 100 miles of State College. If he had taken this issue to the proper authorites OUTSIDE of the college they would have listened to him and he would still be the coach today.

[happylonersarah]

08:21 PM on 11/10/2011

Next time read section 42.42 part a) General rule.

Paterno is a mandated reporter to CHILD WELFARE SERVICES.

[dojone]

12:59 PM on 11/10/2011

It is absolutely disgusting that these children and their families have been forced to live with the knowledge that the football program at Penn State was more important to Penn State than the well-being of the innocent and then to have had students last night reinforce that image really speaks to the corrupting influence in college football today. If one of my children had participated in that riot last night, I would be spending today asking myself how I had failed to teach them ethics.

[SF TKF]

12:06 PM on 11/10/2011

So Penn State thinks having the original witness who did NOTHING to stop a man raping a child take the place of Paterno on Saturday is a viable and acceptable option? Really? What part of CLEAN HOUSE is unclear to these people?

[kandid61]

10:59 AM on 11/10/2011

I'm just curious to know how many of the Trustees knew about this, allowed it to be swept under the rug, and are now acting because of the public scorn that will obviously cost them sponsors, tuitions, and possibly liabilility settlements.

[Fabini]

10:45 PM on 11/10/2011

Unless they were working in the administration at the time, I doubt they had any possible knowledge.

[SangZe]

09:48 AM on 11/10/2011

Sad. But the truth is that most universities will go far out of their way to cover up anything that hints of any sort of scandal. Most of the time, the pervert is promoted, although sometimes reassigned to a less visible position. Much of the time, the victims are either labeled liars or their claims considered frivolous. Whatever. Nothing, nothing should ever rock the boat.

[davis238]

09:40 AM on 11/10/2011

Glad these men are getting PUBLIC exposure on their EVIL deeds. The whole bunch needs to be taken to court and put into electric chairs and FRIED for the deeds toward children and the covering for each other over the years. Aiding and Apetting for the crimes they have committed. Shame, Shame, Shame if it was Joe Paterno's child I am sure he would of done much more nothing more needs to be said.

[DCJ009]

09:31 AM on 11/10/2011

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHO ARE THE SPONSORS FOR THIS SCHOOL THAT CLEARLY SHOULD NOT BE SPONSORED SPECIALLY WITH THE LOCK OF MORALS FROM THE STAFF AND ALSO FROM THE STUDENTS.

[JoAnn Kennedy]

10:42 AM on 11/10/2011

I got lambasted yesterday by PSU alum's for mentioning funding, I was told that I was drunk, an idiot, and out of my mind. It's a shame that the mind set at that college is so pro football and the pedofile issue is not very important -- There are alot of great colleges in the Commonwealth of PA -- and those other colleges contribute in many ways -- however, to know that everything takes a backseat to football at PSU sends a wrong message to the student body. And when challenged the student body riots (aka throws a giant temper tantrum)

[jonathan comer]

01:44 PM on 11/10/2011

With over 50 disciplines ranked in the top 25. I think PSU shows that its commitment to its students is 2nd to none.

[party-of-one]

09:17 AM on 11/10/2011

I hope the Penn State will take the crisis as an opportunity for reflection and recognize the need to help its students, particularly those protesting the firings, understand priorities and values in a different way.

It is beyond belief that a university, its staff, students and alumni put higher value on football than on society's responsibility to protect and nurture its children.

[givey]

08:59 AM on 11/10/2011

Obviously Penn State does not produce men of character. McQueary is over 6 feet Tall. And he could not overpower a old PEDOPHILE who was Raping a Ten year old in a Shower inside the Penn State Sports Facility. Penn State is State College, which get benefits from the Goverment which should stop. Joe Paterno who is a so called great man told his Superiors of an incident which he did not follow up with about inappropriate touching by a fellow Falcuty member of a ten year old. A True Great Man is only as Great as his last Good Deed. McQueary and Paterno obviously never learnt this. I am so sorry I ever looked up to Joe Paterno. I hope Penn State is sued out of existence.

[Krootie]

08:54 AM on 11/10/2011

The power of this institution chose MONEY and SPORTS over the lives of these children. They need to find EVERYONE connected with the case, that looked the other way. This report on the facts and findings of the PA State Grand Jury: http://cbspittsburgh.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/20111107_sandusky_grand_jury_presentment.pdf provides 8 victims , but it's likely he had as many as 40 to 50 over the years.

[MarilynBB]

08:48 AM on 11/10/2011

Reporting abuse to those in positions of power takes courage. Having the report ignored and minimized by those who have had the power to act is frightening as the abuser then feels entitled to repeat the abuse. Shame at being a victim can prevent reports. Fear, for men, of being targeted as homosexual, a rat, a snitch etc. must be overcome and, for women, of being called a slut, no longer a virgin (resulting in her death in some cultures), having provoked or "asked for it" etc. prevents reporting. Choosing children without proper parental supervision is a ploy often used by abusers. This is the tip of a much bigger picture.

[schatsie]

08:34 AM on 11/10/2011

Geez, ya think the trustees were afraid of being sued? Maybe they don't have the liability insurance provided by the Fortune 500 for their Boards of Directors to shrug off accountability and responsibility......

[Watch The Vote]

08:26 AM on 11/10/2011

This is waht Virginia Tech should have done to their president Steger, but instead they kept him and promoted all the people who were found negligent in preventing the April 16, 2006 shooitngs at their campus.

[Brooke Horne]

08:15 AM on 11/10/2011

I would hope that the families of these victims will be suing each of these men personally in civil court and take them to the cleaners.

[cindyperry]

08:43 AM on 11/10/2011

amen

[jonathan comer]

01:57 PM on 11/10/2011

On what grounds?

[IWantTofu]

10:08 AM on 11/11/2011

Read the article.