NCAA: Paterno family will not get appeal hearing on sanctions against Penn State

Officials at the National Collegiate Athletic Association indicated that they will not entertain a request to appeal the sanctions levied against Penn State University in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

An attorney representing the Paterno family filed a notice of intent to appeal the consent decree imposed by the NCAA on Penn State University on Friday, formally requesting that be allowed to provide a written appeal, as well as requesting an in-person, oral arguments.

In the notice, Attorney Wick Sollers wrote that NCAA President Mark Emmert relied heavily on the Louis Freeh report into the handling of the scandal, which lead to the $60 million fine, bowl ban and scholarship reductions announced last month.

“The NCAA and Penn State’s Board Chair and President entirely ignored the fact that the Freeh Report, on which these extraordinary penalties are based, is deeply flawed because it is incomplete, rife with unsupported opinions and unquestionably one-sided,” said Sollers. “To severely punish a University and its community and to condemn a great educator, philanthropist and coach without any public review or hearing is unfair on its face and a violation of NCAA guidelines.”

An official told 6News by telephone that NCAA spokesman Bob Williams’ only comment was “Penn State sanctions are not subject to appeal.”

A request for comment from the Paterno family’s attorney has not yet been returned.

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