AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
In 2012, the former FBI director Louis J. Freeh released a damning report about the child sex-abuse scandal involving Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant coach for Pennsylvania State University’s football team. The report concluded that Penn State’s leaders, including Graham B. Spanier, its president at the time, had conspired to conceal Mr. Sandusky’s abuse.
The scandal rocked the university and carried major consequences: Mr. Sandusky was sent to prison for his crimes. Mr. Spanier was hit with criminal charges. And the NCAA imposed serious penalties on the university, some of which it later rescinded.
This selection of articles from The Chronicle‘s archives looks back on the scandal and its fallout.
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LegalWith Last-Minute Ruling, Graham Spanier Evades Jumpsuit and ‘Hard Cell’
A federal judge tosses the former Penn State chief’s conviction tied to Jerry Sandusky’s crimes. -
Leadership
Seeking Closure in Verdict, Penn State Finds More Discord
After Graham Spanier’s conviction last week, a Penn State trustee said he was “running out of sympathy” for Jerry Sandusky’s abuse victims. Those remarks and a furious statement by Louis Freeh suggest anything but calm. -
The Scene in the Courtroom
Guilty Verdict Puts a Dark Coda on Spanier’s Fall
The former Penn State president, charged in connection with Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse, was found guilty on one count of endangering the welfare of children, but not guilty on two other charges. -
Reaction and Analysis
Spanier’s Conviction Highlights Lessons of Sandusky Scandal
Higher-education experts said the scandal made clear that universities need to investigate serious allegations quickly and extensively. -
News
Spanier Is Found Guilty of Child Endangerment in Sandusky Sex-Abuse Case
After deliberating for more than 12 hours, the jury handed down the long-awaited split verdict. -
Leadership
Spanier Trial Closes With Appeal to Moral Outrage
Prosecutors argued that the former Penn State chief might have spared some of Jerry Sandusky’s sexual-abuse victims, but instead conspired to preserve the university’s reputation. -
Leadership
Remorseful, Spanier’s Lieutenants Say They Failed Children
Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, both high-ranking former administrators at Penn State, were confronted in court with the fact that Jerry Sandusky kept abusing boys after they decided not to report that the coach was seen showering with a child. -
Leadership
Spanier Trial Opens With Former Penn State President Facing Charges With Few Precedents
Testimony in a Pennsylvania courtroom, while familiar, was for the first time squarely aimed at the university’s former chief. -
Leadership
In Spanier Case, College Leadership Goes on Trial
The prosecution of Penn State’s former president, charged with covering up Jerry Sandusky’s abuse, will scrutinize administrative decision-making and feed on a growing culture of accountability. -
Government
Record Fine for Penn State Sends a Signal on Clery Act Compliance
The Education Department penalized the university $2.4 million after an investigation sparked by the Sandusky scandal. Its findings in the case could hold lessons for other colleges. -
Overview
Penn State’s Culture of Reverence Led to ‘Total Disregard’ for Children’s Safety
The Freeh report paints an ugly picture of leaders’ turning a blind eye to abuse on their campus. -
Failure in Leadership
A Powerful President Sought First to Protect His University’s Reputation
Thus far Graham B. Spanier has not faced criminal liability for his role. That may soon change. -
Inside the Report
How the Penn State Report Implicates Top Officials
The report paints a damning portrait of how they handled sex-abuse charges. We break down which administrators knew what—and why they failed to act. -
News
Penn State’s Response to Abuse Day by Day
Investigators working on a report about Penn State’s handling of the Jerry Sandusky scandal uncovered dozens of emails in which top university administrators discuss how to respond to allegations against the former coach. -
News
How Penn State’s Sex-Abuse Scandal Unfolded: a Timeline
A grand-jury report released in 2011 highlighted key events in the scandal’s history. -
Penn State Fallout
Graham Spanier Is Charged With Concealing Child Abuse
The former Penn State president is accused of being part of a “conspiracy of silence.” He faces eight criminal counts, five of which are felonies. -
Leadership
Behind an Ex-President, a Band of Loyalists
As Graham Spanier fights to clear his name, an eclectic group of defenders has coalesced around the former Penn State chief. -
Penn State Scandal
The View From Ground Zero
Coping with public scorn, faculty members in State College also see a chance to shift the balance of power. -
Facing the Fallout
NCAA Levies $60-Million Fine Against Penn State
The punishment is likely to hobble the university’s football team for years to come. -
2012 Roundup
Why I Resigned the Paterno Chair
It was the Paterno Family Professorship in Literature. That’s all you need to know, right? No. In fact, much of what you think you know is wrong. -
Commentary
The NCAA Entrenches Itself as Part of the Problem
Forget Penn State: The NCAA’s vengeful reaction obscures the resolve we’ll need to deal with the conflict between sports and academics. -
The Review
It’s a Guy Thing at Penn State, and That’s a Problem
Would the presence of a woman in authority in the athletic department have made a difference as the scandal unfolded?
