PSU: Joe Paterno fired for 'failure of leadership'
Joe Paterno addresses the media after the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 29, 2011 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. Credit: Getty Images
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State trustees, faced with continued alumni and student criticism for firing football coach Joe Paterno, released a statement yesterday intended to underscore their rationale for his ouster: "failure of leadership" for his actions following a reported sex assault involving former assistant Jerry Sandusky.
The board found that while Paterno fulfilled a legal obligation to tell his superiors that an employee claimed Sandusky abused a young boy in a shower, it said Paterno should have done more.
"We determined that his decision to do his minimum legal duty and not to do more to follow up constituted a failure of leadership by Coach Paterno," the trustees wrote.
The report comes after months of criticism from Penn State alumni over Paterno's firing in November. The Hall of Fame coach died in January after a brief bout with lung cancer.
Other critics, including some faculty, have questioned the board's decisions in general in the frantic weeks after Sandusky was arrested Nov. 5.
Paterno's lawyer, Wick Sollers, said in a statement that the family was surprised and saddened that the board "believes it is necessary and appropriate to explain -- for the fourth or fifth time -- why they fired Joe Paterno so suddenly and unjustifiably on Nov. 9, 2011."
Judge hears arguments. Also yesterday, a judge heard arguments but opted not to rule immediately on how much information Sandusky should get in advance of his trial on child sex abuse charges.
Judge John Cleland gave no indication when he'd rule on the arguments concerning the "bill of particulars" about the 10 purported victims that the attorney general's office provided Sandusky's attorney two weeks ago.
Defense attorney Joe Amendola requested more specific information about where and when alleged crimes occurred and the names of people who were present or nearby. He has said that information may help him develop his defense.
The attorney general's office says Amendola is overstating the lack of specificity in the materials already provided to him.
Sandusky did not attend the hearing.
