Former Penn State Coach Charged with Sexual Abuse

The Takeaway

Some shocking news about Penn State’s football program broke this weekend when Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant defensive coach,  was arrested on charges of sexually abusing eight boys over a 15 year period. Two top university officials – Gary Schultz, the senior vice president for finance and business, and Tim Curley, the athletic director – are expected to turn themselves into authorities today. They have been charged with perjury and failing to report what they knew about allegations against Sandusky. Still hanging in the air is the question of what Penn State coach Joe Paterno knew about the accusations against his assistant defensive coach.    In a statement  issued last night, Paterno said, “The fact that someone we thought we knew might have harmed young people to this extent is deeply troubling. If this is true we were all fooled, along with scores of professionals trained in such things, and we grieve for the victims and their families.”  Connor Ennis, college football editor for The New York Times, has more on the story.

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