New information about the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal came to light Thursday, and it’s a doozy: According to a court order on a related insurance coverage case involving Penn State, former Nittany Lions football coach Joe Paterno knew about Sandusky abusing children in 1976.
From PennLive.com:
“The line in question states that one of Penn State’s insurers has claimed ‘in 1976, a child allegedly reported to PSU’s Head Coach Joseph Paterno that he (the child) was sexually molested by Sandusky.’
The order also cites separate references in 1987 and 1988 in which unnamed assistant coaches witnessed inappropriate contact between Sandusky and unidentified children, and a 1988 case that was supposedly referred to Penn State’s athletic director at the time.”
The news came as part of a pre-trial order in which Penn State is looking to reimbursed by insurance agencies for most of the $60 million it has paid in settlements from civil claims relating to the Sandusky scandal.
Paterno’s family — and large portions of the Penn State community — have maintained the deceased coach’s innocence in the matter, saying he was deceived like everyone else. This new information seemingly would debunk that stance.
The Paterno family released a statement through its attorney Thursday night, via PennLive.
“Over the past four-and-a-half years Joe Paterno’s conduct has been scrutinized by an endless list of investigators and attorneys,” the statement read. “Through all of this review there has never been any evidence of inappropriate conduct by Coach Paterno. To the contrary, the evidence clearly shows he shared information with his superiors as appropriate.
“An allegation now about an alleged event 40 years ago, as represented by a single line in a court document regarding an insurance issue, with no corroborating evidence, does not change the facts. Joe Paterno did not, at any time, cover up conduct by Jerry Sandusky.”
The University told NBC News that it is aware of the allegations but cannot legally comment on them.
Thumbnail photo via Mara Ticcino/The Daily Collegian/USA TODAY Sports Images
