Following Graham Spanier’s conviction on one count of child endangerment last week, Penn State trustee Al Lord said in an email sent to The Chronicle of Higher Education that he’s “Running out of sympathy for 35 yr old, so-called victims with 7 digit net worth.”
The email, which was sent on Saturday, refers to victims of Jerry Sandusky. Lord’s message was in response to the results Spanier’s trial, where the former Penn State president on Friday was found guilty on one misdemeanor charge of child endangerment and acquitted on another child endangerment charge and a conspiracy charge.
Lord, an alumni-elected trustee who is seeking re-election in May, made known his opinions about the results of the trial as the email continued.
“Do not understand why they were so prominent in trial,” Lord said in the message, according to the Chronicle. “As you learned, Graham Spanier never knew Sandusky abused anyone.”
One man identified as a victim of Sandusky testified for the prosecution at Spanier’s trial. He testified that he was abused in 2002, after Spanier, former athletic director Tim Curley and former vice president Gary Schultz decided not to inform the Department of Public Welfare about Mike McQueary’s 2001 report of Sandusky with a boy in a locker room shower
Board of Trustees chairman Ira M. Lubert responded to the email and expressed sympathy for Sandusky’s victims.
“Al Lord’s comments are personal and do not represent the opinions of the board or the university,” Lubert said in a statement. “The sentiments of the board and university leadership were expressed in the very first line of the statement released by Penn State: First and foremost, our thoughts remain with the victims of Jerry Sandusky.”
Lord, the former CEO of student loan agency Sallie Mae, has been a longtime supporter of Spanier and is running for one of the three spots on the board among five competing candidates.
