Joe Paterno died in early 2012, but in his last recorded interview, he maintained that he had no knowledge of Jerry Sandusky engaging in any kind of sexual abuse while a member of Penn State’s coaching staff.
Advertisement
According to the Associated Press (Warning: graphic content), the documents reported an unnamed accuser, listed as John Doe 150, stated in October 2014 testimony he spoke with “several adults” about being sexually abused by Sandusky in a shower before going to speak with Paterno directly. “I have a football season to worry about”, according to court documents. The allegation that he walked in to a room while Sandusky was abusing a boy emerged in documents unsealed Tuesday morning from Penn State’s litigation with its insurer over settlements paid to Sandusky accusers.
The alleged attack occurred long before a 1998 incident that investigators had set as the earliest date that Paterno and university officials knew, or should have known, about reports to authorities of sexual abuse by Sandusky.
But newly-unsealed testimony suggests Paterno may have been warned about Sandusky all the way back in 1976, but failed to take any action.
” ‘I was shocked, disappointed, offended, I was insulted, ‘ John Doe 150 testified”.
Schiano, who served as head coach at Rutgers from 2001-2011, led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two seasons before he was sacked.
According to the deposition of John Doe 150, a group of Penn State football campers were in a shower together with Sandusky. Penn State’s overriding concern has been for Sandusky’s victims, he said. He was also a graduate assistant at Penn State in 1990, so he did spend a good amount of time with Paterno and Sandusky.
“Analysis of the information released today further underscores the Penn State Board of Trustees’ inability to act in the best interest of Penn State at every turn”, Maribeth Roman Schmidt, spokesperson for PS4RS, said.
McQueary says that when he discussed what he had seen with a longtime Penn State assistant coach named Tom Bradley in roughly 2005 or 2006, Bradley told him that he was aware of other troubling reports involving Sandusky and young boys. Bradley went on to tell him about an incident in which Schiano had witnessed Sandusky molesting a child in the 1990s, McQueary said.
Another deposition included is from Mike McQueary, former Penn State assistant coach turned key witness in Sandusky’s trial.
Following Tuesday’s news of the documents made public, many addressed the incident, including Penn State President Eric Barron.
Sandusky was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 boys in the ’90s and 2000s; he is now serving a 30- to 60-year sentence.
Advertisement
But lawyer Ken Feinberg, who helped mediate claims against the university, said Penn State was diligent in making sure the claims were supported by sufficient proof.
