Penn State President Rodney Erickson grilled by NY alums

The president of Penn State University listened to emotional questions from alumni Friday night about the board of trustees' decision to fire coach Joe Paterno in the wake of the grand jury report that led to sexual abuse charges against former assistant Jerry Sandusky.

President Rodney Erickson, on the final leg of a three-day run of town hall meetings with alumni to discuss the scandal, told a crowd of about 300 in downtown Manhattan that he agreed with Paterno's firing, saying the coach's ability to lead had been "compromised" by the scandal.

Erickson added that Penn State's board of trustees "made a very, very difficult and, in many ways, a courageous decision" by firing the 85-year-old Paterno, a decision that has been viewed as wildly unpopular with the majority of the school's alumni.

Paterno, who has been receiving treatment for lung cancer since his firing, was admitted to the hospital Friday for observation, his family said in a statement to The Associated Press. He recently conducted his first interview since his firing, speaking with a reporter for The Washington Post. The newspaper said it will publish the interview with Paterno on Saturday afternoon.

Erickson thanked Paterno and his wife, Sue, for their contributions to the university Friday and said the school will honor him at some point. But that sentiment did little to sway the alumni angry with the manner in which he was dismissed two months ago.

Virginia Alvarez, who graduated from Penn State in 1997, began the question-and-answer session Friday by identifying herself as a lawyer and breaking down in tears as she asked Erickson why Paterno wasn't afforded "due process" after the grand jury report in November.

Dave Rousch, a 2004 graduate, added: "The Paternos represented everything we Penn Staters stand for. When the board of trustees fired Joe, they fired many of us."

That comment was followed by perhaps the loudest applause of the 90-minute program at the Marriott Downtown.

At least one alumnus, however, disagreed with the majority regarding Paterno.

"Joe Paterno is not a victim," said a man who identified himself to the crowd as a Class of '91 graduate. "For us to say that makes us more a laughingstock than what we already are . . . I need the world to know that not all Penn State alumni feel bad that Joe was let go."

Sandusky has pleaded not guilty to charges that he sexually abused 10 young boys over a 15-year period.

Paterno testified before the grand jury that he was told of an inappropriate incident between Sandusky and a young boy in the Penn State locker room showers in 2002. He reported it to his bosses, but not police.

Bradley out. As expected, Nittany Lions interim coach Tom Bradley will not be retained on new coach Bill O'Brien's staff. O'Brien named Ted Roof his defensive coordinator; Roof took the same position with Central Florida on Dec. 8 after three seasons with Auburn.-- AP