Ex-Penn State President Charged in Sandusky Case
Former Penn State President Graham B. Spanier was charged Thursday morning with perjury, obstruction of justice and endangering children for covering up the child molestation allegations against Jerry Sandusky.
Pennsylvania prosecutors also charged former administrators Timothy M. Curley and Gary C. Shultz with endangering children, obstruction of justice and conspiracy according to court records.
All three officials have repeatedly said that they are innocent, and Spanier's attorneys released a statement earlier this year saying he was never told there was anything of a sexual nature between Sandusky and the children he worked with.
Curley, the athletic director on leave during his last year under contract, and Shultz, the retired vice president for business and finance, were both charged last year with lying to the grand jury investigating Sandusky and failing to properly report the alleged child abuse. Curley and Shultz are due back in court this January for their trial in Harrisburg.
Spanier was president at Penn State for 16 years before being forced out following Sandusky's arrest in Nov. 2011. Spanier, along with Curley, Shultz and former coach Joe Paterno, were all criticized in former FBI Director Louis Freeh's report of the incident.
Known as the "Freeh Report," it revealed emails from 1998 in which the administrators discussed the matter. One particular email from May 5 from Curley to Shultz and Spanier was especially highlighted in the report. The subject line read, "Joe Paterno," and said, "I have touched bases with the coach. Keep us posted. Thanks."
Spanier told Freeh that the 2001 incident was only "horseplay," although the May 5 email revealed a much more serious tone.
Spanier's lawyers have rejected the Freeh report, calling it a myth. They say Spanier would have acted if he knew that a predator like Sandusky was allegedly molesting children.
According to the Associated Press, Sandusky was transferred on Wednesday to a prison in Southwest Pennsylvania that holds most of the state's death row inmates, to carry out his 30-60 year sentence.
