Judge Gives Second Mile Approval to Dissolve

A specially presiding judge on Thursday gave The Second Mile approval to officially dissolve.

Warren and Forest Counties Common Pleas Judge William Morgan, who has been overseeing cases related to Second Mile assets since 2012, said that the charitable organization founded by Jerry Sandusky in 1977 could dissolve and turn its approximately $750,000 in remaining assets over to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.

Claims can still be filed against the organization for 120 days. After that the attorney general will oversee distribution of assets to other charitable organizations.

The Second Mile has all but ceased to exist since Sandusky, a former Penn State football defensive coordinator, was arrested in 2011 and subsequently convicted on 45 counts related to child sexual abuse. Sandusky founded the charity to help at-risk children and was later discovered to have found a number of his victims through it.

‘The Second Mile’s volunteer base, on which it relied to deliver its programming, shrank considerably, and certain referral sources to the Second Mile’s programs were reluctant to refer children to The Second Mile programs while Sandusky was under a cloud of suspicion,’ attorney Howard Rosenthal wrote in petitioning for the dissolution earlier this year.

The charity explored options including restructuring, but eventually determined that it would have to transfer programs to other nonprofit organizations and eventually dissolve. 

‘Petitioners determined that … The Second Mile could not continue its charitable purpose but should transfer its programs to another nonprofit provider and, ultimately, dissolve,’ Rosenthal wrote.

In its petition The Second Mile acknowledged Penn State may file an indemnification claim against the organization or its insurers “arising out of the claims by victims of Sandusky which were filed against/and or settled by Penn State.” 

Penn State filed a response in which it did not object to the dissolution, but said it would not relinquish its right to file claims against The Second Mile. The response indicated in addition to indemnification claims against the organization and its insurers, “the University also may file other claims against those entities and/or against office or members of the Board of Directors of The Second Mile. The University reserves all right with respect to all of the claims it may file against these entities and individuals.” 

In the years since Sandusky’s arrest and conviction, the charity has sold its office building, other unused real estate, intellectual property and other holdings. That included the 2014 sale of land at Bernel Road and Fox Hill Road in Patton Township for $1.05 million to businessman Michael Lee. 

In 2013 it transferred some program operations and funds to Arrow Child & Family Ministries, a U.S.-based Christian organization that provides welfare and education services for abused and neglected children. Prior to that transfer, The Second Mile had assets worth about $6 million and prior to Sandusky’s arrest the organization had net assets of about $9 million.