Centre Co., PA (WJAC) — Friday marked the 10th anniversary of the arrest of Jerry Sandusky which began a chain reaction of events that included head coach Joe Paterno being fired, and three university administrators being arrested.
The former Penn State football defensive coordinator was convicted eight months later, in 2012, in Centre County court, on more than 40 counts of child sexual assault.
He was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Sandusky appealed his case numerous times; each time being denied a retrial.
The reputation damage and financial costs to the university has racked up over the past decade.
According to records obtained by 6 News, Penn State has now paid nearly 30 Sandusky accusers close to $130 million, with the total financial cost to the university at well over $300 million.
As university trustee Anthony Lubrano says, that includes more than just the losses in court.
“Legal fees alone were in excess of $100 million. Settlements were considerable. In addition to the fine we paid the NCAA on top of the revenue withheld by the NCAA for bowl play.”
In the aftermath, the university has put new training and practices in place for staff to recognize and report possible cases of abuse.
Five years ago, the state announced $1.7 million of penalty money paid by the university would be given to groups helping child victims of sexual assault.
Meanwhile, Sandusky’s attorneys say they continue to work on further appeals.
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