Penn State: No vote or decision to remove Paterno Statue

In the wake of several reports that indicated that university officials had made a final decision about the fate of a 900-pound bronze statue of Joe Paterno, Penn State officials released a statement Sunday evening.

“Contrary to various reports, neither the Board of Trustees nor University Administration has taken a vote or made a decision regarding the Joe Paterno statue at Beaver Stadium,” the statement said.

The larger than life sculpture has been the target of heated debate and criticism, in the wake of the public release of the Freeh report, which said Joe Paterno was an “integral part” of the decision not to contact outside authorities about allegations of child sex abuse involving Jerry Sandusky in the Lasch building showers.  

Victims advocate Jennifer Storm, who has been a vocal critic of Penn State’s handling of the scandal since the arrest of Jerry Sandusky last November, has launched an online petition, urging the Board of Trustees to immediately tear down the Paterno statue and replace it with a permanent, public tribute to the victims of the child sex abuse scandal.