Karl Rominger, Sandusky Lawyer, Suggests Accused Penn State Coach Was Teaching Hygiene Habits

After waiving his right to a preliminary hearing earlier this week, Jerry Sandusky continued to maintain that he is not guilty of the more than 50 counts of sexual assault that he is facing, even invoking a football metaphor during a brief statement to the press.

"What we intend is to put together the best possible defense that we could do, to stay the course, to fight for four quarters, and await the opportunity to present our side," Sandusky said before leaving the courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa.

As part of this "best possible defense," Sandusky's lawyers are actively engaging the media. After the alleged sexual predator returned to his home, Sandusky's lawyer, Joseph Amendola, held court with a large media contingent, seizing the opportunity to present his client's case in the court of public opinion. By Amendola's side on the steps of the courthouse was another member of Sandusky's legal team, attorney Karl Rominger.

Based in Carlisle, Pa., Rominger has also been speaking up on behalf of his client this week. During an appearance with ABC27 News on Tuesday, Rominger suggested that Sandusky could have been showering with boys -- something that he has repeatedly admitted to -- in order to teach them "basic hygiene skills" rather than for any sexual purpose.

"Some of these kids don't have basic hygiene skills," Rominger told ABC 27. "Teaching a person to shower at the age of 12 or 14 sounds strange to some people, but people who work with troubled youth will tell you there are a lot of juvenile delinquents and people who are dependent who have to be taught basic life skills like how to put soap on their body."

When pressed about his showers with the young boys accusing him of sexual assault during an interview with NBC's Bob Costas, Sandusky made no mention of any such instructional purpose, instead admitting to "horsing around" during showers with the alleged victims.

Although Rominger's interview with ABC 27 suggests that he has the same views on media engagement as Amendola, there is a post on the Rominger & Associates website that suggests these two members of Team Sandusky may not always be on the same page. In September 2011, Rominger posted an article entitled "What Is A Preliminary Hearing?" and wrote that it is a common mistake to waive this hearing. Clearly, Amendola felt differently in this case.

UPDATE 12/16 6:20 PM: On Thursday, Rominger issued a statement clarifying his comments earlier in the week about the reasons why an adult might shower with an adolescent.

"When answering why a person might be in a shower with a youth, I proposed one hypothetical, such as an adult leading by example and encouraging a youth with bad or poor hygiene to shower regularly. Some commentators have argued that I am saying that Mr. Sandusky showered with youths and touched them inappropriately for the purpose of teaching them how to shower. That is not what I said. First, there's no evidence of inappropriate touching in a shower, except for discredited statements from the grand jury presentment. Further, Jerry has maintained his innocent [sic] and denies any sexual touching or inappropriate touching in the shower. Therefore, I would like to clarify that I am not suggesting that this is what happened in this case, but was answering questions about possible motivations an individual might have for an adult to shower with a juvenile."

The slideshow below shows the key players in the Sandusky scandal:

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• Jerry Sandusky

  Following a three-year investigation, the former Penn State player and assistant coach was <a href="http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2011/11/07/grand_jury_presentment_story.aspx" target="_hplink">indicted</a> on Nov. 4 on 40 counts of sexual crimes against male minors that occurred over the span of more than a decade -- the first alleged recorded incident of abuse <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/07/justice/pennsylvania-coach-abuse-timeline/?hpt=ju_c2" target="_hplink">dates back to 1994,</a> and Sandusky was first investigated in 1998.. The allegations have rocked Penn State's storied athletic program to its core, raising questions of who in the program knew what -- and how much -- when.

• Mike McQueary

  <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/colleges/penn_state/133338298.html" target="_hplink">McQueary</a> was a graduate assistant at Penn State when he allegedly witnessed coach Jerry Sandusky sodomizing a 10-year-old boy in a locker room shower. Shocked by what he saw, he reported it to head coach Joe Paterno, who then told Athletic Director Tim Curley and senior vice president Gary Schultz. Ten days after McQueary saw the incident, Curley and Schutlz told him that they were not going to report it to police.

• Joe Paterno

  The famed Nittany Lions coach was allegedly informed of Sandusky's actions in 2002, after which he reported them to Athletic Director Tim Curley. He claims that he did not know the full extent of Sandusky's actions. In a statement, Paterno said that "the fact that someone we thought we knew might have harmed young people to this extent is deeply troubling." Joe Paterno <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/22/joe-paterno-dead-ex-penn-state-football-coach-obit_n_1221946.html" target="_hplink">passed away from lung cancer </a>on Jan. 22, 2012.

• Gary Schultz

  The Daily Collegian reports that Penn State senior vice president for finance and business <a href="http://www.collegian.psu.edu/" target="_hplink">Gary Schultz</a> was known for his family values. However, Schultz allegedly lied to authorities about what he knew in regards to Sandusky's actions, and may have been aware of them for years. He has since resigned from his job. A judge ruled in December that<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/16/tim-curley-gary-schultz-hearing-trial-penn-state_n_1154360.html" target="_hplink"> Schultz and Curley will be tried</a> on charges of lying to a grand jury.

• Tim Curley

  Penn State's athletic director was informed of Sandusky's misdeeds as early as 2002, but maintains that he was not aware of their explicit nature. He has been charged with failure to report and has been put on administrative leave. He claims he is innocent. A judge ruled in December that<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/16/tim-curley-gary-schultz-hearing-trial-penn-state_n_1154360.html" target="_hplink">Gary Schultz and Curley will be tried</a> on charges of lying to a grand jury.

• Graham Spanier

  Penn State President Spanier, left, recently wrote to the Penn State Daily Collegian that he believed he had the best job in American education. Now, students and alumni are <a href="http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2011/11/07/Petition_to_fire_president_spanier.aspx" target="_hplink">calling for him to be fired</a> in the wake of horrific sexual abuse accusations against former coach Jerry Sandusky.

• The Second Mile

  Sandusky's <a href="http://www.thesecondmile.org/" target="_hplink">charity,</a> founded in 1977, allowed him unfettered access to young boys under the guise of selflessness.

• More on HuffPost...

Comments

[sis14slf]

12:47 PM on 12/20/2011

Bull feces.

[LaoShur]

11:55 PM on 12/18/2011

This week it's how to shower, next week we teach how to check your prostate with another man!

[mellinsean]

07:20 PM on 12/18/2011

They are Big Boys now!

[gmcbi58]

10:25 AM on 12/18/2011

The excuse the lawyer has given is crazy so impossible to believe they came up with that. His lawyer disgusting­. How can lawyers say things like that, can they sleep at night? Not thinking of the victims at all how the hurt shame they feel. the victim what they are going threw to hear a defense like it hurts. I know I am a victim of abuse. As a young stupid teenager I would mowed my teaches lawn. One very hot summer day I was done with his lawn me being all dirty sweaty he talked me into taking a shower after .. He also took my clothes to wash. Long story short, I didn't get my clothes back for over 3 hours we didn't go over homework. Here it is 40 years later my marriage suffers, my life upside down from what happen to me in teenage years it's traumatic a life altering experience for young victims that follow them for the rest of their lives.
The lawyers deserve to have Bubba teach them personal hygiene in a shower of a jail.

[JamaicaMe]

12:21 PM on 12/18/2011

Just know that when you are a minor, your brain is not fully developed - kids make stupid choices, they are easily influenced and then, they have to live with what they did for the rest of their life. The minor is the victim, even if they went along with what was happening, and the adult who compromised a minor is evil. It's so hard that we teach our kids to mindlessly obey authority and there are people in the world who take advantage of that. I hope you recover - it sounds like you have to forgive YOURSELF. You are not guilty. You were taken advantage of.

[areveeeff]

08:51 AM on 12/18/2011

Did any of of the ungrateful accusers even thank Sandusky for the "hygiene" lessons as a "possible motivation"? Talk about grasping at straws...

[SonnyBono]

04:28 AM on 12/18/2011

Not all scum are lawyers but based on Rominger's comments, clearly all lawyers are scum and should be taught basic hygiene.

[UncleMandingo]

12:03 AM on 12/18/2011

There is a humanity gene that must be taken out if you pass the bar exam.
How can a human lie for money and attention. Something is missing inside this person.

[ljmck]

10:26 PM on 12/17/2011

The takeaways:

Adults can and do molest children.

Children are being molested every day -- maybe under your nose -- by family friends, relatives, teachers, clergy, and others with access. Be aware.

Statistically, it's adults you and your children trust and who have access who do this (much more so than ugly, mean criminals on the street!) Don't believe me? Look it up!

When someone is caught, his friends and co-workers may try to cover it up -- and may succeed!

Schools and institutions in the business of making money and building reputations may (be counted on to) put their own interests above those of your children.

Find a way to tell your children what is inappropriate and make it easy for them to talk to you! Believe them.

The best way to protect children is to TELL. They/we should all tell.

Telling removes the stigma from victims and puts it where it belongs -- on pedophiles!

[NonPrawf]

06:51 PM on 12/17/2011

If he starts talking about enemmas, I'm gonna puke.

[BuffaloBills222]

04:47 PM on 12/17/2011

learn how to put soap on their body? come on

[susie1776]

03:53 PM on 12/17/2011

Oh sure...I get it now. He had to get them naked to make sure they were washing behind their ears!

[twinpossible]

08:26 AM on 12/17/2011

Teaching hygiene habits?? Does his lawyer know how absolutely absurd that sounds. Um, one boy could show another. An old guy doesn't have to jump into the shower naked and say put soap here and here, now rub. PLEASE! I think those things com naturally anyway.

My 21 month old twins can wash their own hands and faces without prompting. They do a lot of things from just watching us, including brushing their teeth, and they aren't 10-12 years old. Come on! He sounds like an idiot, this guy!

Shelly

http://www.twinpossible.com/blog

[twinpossible]

08:21 AM on 12/17/2011

I know a reason for showering with boys. The only one, when you aren't daddy and that is even wrong at a certain point/ age......YOU ARE A PEDOPHILE. There simply is no explaination. Sandusky keeps 'goofing' up his words, and his lawyer keeps trying to clean them up, unsuccessfully. It ain't working!

Shelly

http://www.twinpossible.com/blog

[sis14slf]

12:58 PM on 12/20/2011

Thank you!

[catlijk2]

09:12 PM on 12/16/2011

I think it would be in Sandusky's best interest to be found guilty. If he is not, he may just be lynched by a crowd of angry parents! The man must be a real simpleton to think this would never come to light.

[ljmck]

10:43 PM on 12/17/2011

"...a real simpleton to think this would never come to light."

It's more likely than not that molestation by someone close or trusted does NOT come to light!

Children are afraid to tell. They blame themselves. They think (and are often right) that they won't be believed.

We have to be specific in telling our children what is wrong and let them know that adults may try but WE will always believe them and protect them. Children have to know that trusted teachers, clergy (remember the Catholic scandal?), relatives, and family friends may do inappropriate things. And that it's NOT their fault.

We have to recognize that sexual touching, even when inappropriate, can feel good, and that makes children feel guilty!

We have to make it okay for our kids to come to us and TELL us. Frank, but not alarming, conversations are necessary.

I guarantee you that you know people, even relatives, who have been molested. Most people haven't told, but we all should. That's the only way we can protect others.

Sorry, but we all have to be a little less trusting and a little more suspicious. Our children can remain mostly innocent --- but we should not let ourselves be naive.

[poeticjustice4all]

08:44 PM on 12/16/2011

I hope the students at Penn State don't riot when they hear Sandusky was just teaching the boys how to use a wash cloth.