Spanier Says He Was Never Informed of Sex Abuse by Sandusky

Lawyers for Graham B. Spanier said Tuesday that the former Pennsylvania State University president recently told investigators he was never informed of incidents of child sex abuse involving the former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, according to the Associated Press. Their statement precedes the expected release on Thursday of an investigative report by Louis J. Freeh, the former FBI director whose consulting company was hired last November by Penn State’s Board of Trustees to examine the university’s role in the scandal. Mr. Spanier was interviewed by the Freeh group last week.

“At no time in the more than 16 years of his presidency at Penn State was Dr. Spanier told of an incident involving Jerry Sandusky that described child abuse, sexual misconduct, or criminality of any kind, and he reiterated that during his interview with Louis Freeh and his colleagues,” his lawyers said in a statement. The lawyers were striking back against reports suggesting that Mr. Spanier and Joe Paterno may have been involved in discussions of an allegation of child sex abuse against Mr. Sandusky in 2001 that was never reported to authorities. Mr. Spanier and Mr. Paterno were both fired in November. Mr. Sandusky was convicted last month on 45 counts of sexual abuse against children.