In the wake of a sex abuse scandal that’s tarnished Penn State University’s reputation, people nationwide have called for Penn State University’s longtime head coach Joe Paterno to resign.
Tuesday, hours after the university canceled Paterno’s weekly news conference, the 84-year-old coach Paterno addressed a crowd of supporters that gathered outside of his home Tuesday night.
“You know …there’s been some criticism of the way we’ve handled some of the poor victims. You know my wife and I, we have 17 grandkids from 16 to 3. We pray for them every night, but we’re going to start praying for those kids that got some of the problems we talked about. They don’t deserve it. We owe it to them to say a prayer for them to make sure they understand that their life can still be enriched,” Paterno said from his front door.
Paterno has not defended his former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, who is charged with dozens of sex crimes against children. Paterno said he was prepared to make a statement at his weekly news conference. But after the university canceled it, reporters flocked to his home and Penn State students gathered there as well.
Paterno was cleared of any wrongdoing in the Sandusky scandal, but many people have said they think Paterno should have done more to alert police and expose the alleged child abuse.
Sandusky is accused of molesting eight young boys in his home and at the Penn State campus. On Tuesday, another alleged victim came forward. The man said he knew Sandusky from the Second Mile Charity and has never told his parents or authorities about the alleged incidents from a decade ago. Now in his 20s, he lives in Lycoming County and contacted state police on Sunday.
Sandusky and his wife Dottie have six adopted children, and not only was Sandusky a football icon — he received awards for his philanthropic work. In an interview with Sports Illustrated in 1982, Sandusky’s wife said their work with foster children led to the creation of The Second Mile. Prosecutors said Sandusky used his foundation to prey on young boys.
As a coach, Sandusky is credited for “Linebacker U,” but he nearly left Happy Valley in the 1990s. He interviewed for coaching jobs at the University of Maryland and Virginia but did not get hired at either school. Sandusky retired from Penn State in 1999.
Sandusky was reportedly seen working out at a Penn State campus gym just days before his arrest on Saturday. He was scheduled to appear in front of a magistrate on Wednesday but that hearing was continued.
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