Barron ‘Appalled’ by Rush to Judgment in Paterno Allegations

Penn State President Eric Barron says he has had enough.

In a letter to the Penn State community on Sunday, Barron said he is ‘appalled by the rumor, innuendo and rush to judgment that have accompanied the media stories…’ related to allegations this week that former Coach Joe Paterno and others were aware of instances of sexual abuse by Jerry Sandusky as far back as 1970s.

‘None of these allegations about the supposed knowledge of University employees has been substantiated in a court of law or in any other process to test their veracity,’ Barron wrote.

A new media firestorm started on Thursday with line in a Philadelphia County judge’s opinion in Penn State’s legal battle with Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association Insurance over payment of settlements to Sandusky victims. In the court document, Judge Gary Glazer wrote that PMA claimed an individual reported abuse by Sandusky to Paterno in 1976.

No other details about the incident were included in the report. Following that, NBC News reported that according to anonymous sources as many as six Penn State assistant coaches had been aware of abuse by Sandusky. None of the coaches were named. NBC said it didn’t know the name of one. One commented through his lawyer, flatly denying he had seen anything.

Then came a report from CNN by former Harrisburg Patriot -News reporter Sara Ganim about a man who claimed he was abused by Sandusky in the 1970s and who was allegedly told by Paterno in a phone call to drop his accusation. 

Barron’s letter struck back at the presumed guilt attached to the unsubstantiated allegations. He said in the wake of the reports, the university has been working to reanalyze reports and depositions in order to provide a reliable response.

‘First, the allegations related to Penn State are simply not established fact,’ Barron wrote. ‘The two allegations related to knowledge by Coach Paterno are unsubstantiated and unsupported by any evidence other than a claim by an alleged victim.’

He said the university could find no evidence at all that a 1970s assault had been reported to Paterno.

‘Others cite assistant coaches that were witnesses or had knowledge – stating it as fact in headlines and text – even in the face of a denial and clear failure to corroborate from the individuals allegedly involved,’ Barron wrote. ‘Other stories are clearly incredulous, and should be difficult for any reasonable person to believe. We should not be rendering judgments about the actions of Coach Paterno or any other former employees of Penn State based on incomplete, sensationalized media accounts.’

Barron stressed the heinous nature of child sexual abuse and said he is appalled by Sandusky’s crimes, while also pointing to the university’s efforts to prevent child abuse and help victims.

‘Unfortunately, we can’t control the 24/7 news cycle, and the tendency of some individuals in social media and the blogosphere to rush to judgment, Barron concluded. ‘But I have had enough of the continued trial of the institution in various media. We have all had enough. And while Penn State cannot always comment on allegations that emanate from legal proceedings, I thought it was important to let you know my reaction to the media frenzy that has ensued over the past few days. I am appalled.’