Penn State’s Paterno to leave, sources say
Head coach Joe Paterno of the Penn State Nittany Lions during warmups before facing the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Sept. 11, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Penn State football coach Joe Paterno will be forced to leave his job due to a sexual abuse scandal that happened on his watch, two sources have told the New York Times. The university has decided that Paterno, 84, who’s been head coach for 46 seasons and led the school to two national championships, will not return next season, according to the Times’ sources.
On Saturday, Jerry Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator under Paterno, was arrested and charged with sexually abusing eight boys over 15 years. When Paterno heard of an incident involving Sandusky in 2002, he immediately notified university administrators. He did not, however, contact the police, nor did he ban Sandusky from the football complex, ESPN reported.
According to the Times:
On Monday law enforcement officials said that Paterno had met his legal obligation in alerting his superiors at the university when he learned of the 2002 allegation against Sandusky. But they suggested he might well have failed a moral test for what to do when confronted with such a disturbing allegation involving a child not even in his teens.
“I think you have a moral responsibility to call us," Pennsylvania state police commissioner Frank Noonan said at a Monday news conference, ESPN reported.
Rumors that Paterno’s days are numbered gathered steam when Penn State canceled his weekly press conference today.
"Due to the ongoing legal circumstances centered around the recent allegations and charges, we have determined that today's press conference cannot be held and will not be rescheduled," the university said in a statement, according to CNN.
On Saturday, Paterno issued a statement about the scandal, ESPN reported. "If true, the nature and amount of charges made are very shocking to me and all Penn Staters,” he said. “While I did what I was supposed to with the one charge brought to my attention, like anyone else involved, I can't help but be deeply saddened these matters are alleged to have occurred.”
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