Jack Raykovitz, the president and CEO of The Second Mile, issued a three-paragraph written statement Thursday morning, responding to a news report in the Patriot-News.
The newspaper report indicates that former Penn State football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, The Second Mile’s founder, is the subject of a grand-jury investigation. The investigation, according to the Patriot-News, hinges on allegations that Sandusky indecently assaulted a teenager.
A Pennsylvania-based nonprofit group, The Second Mile helps promote self-confidence and well-being among youth. The full text of Raykovitz’s statement is posted below:
All of us at The Second Mile are shaken by the article appearing in the Harrisburg Patriot News. While The Second Mile is referenced in the Patriot News article, we have been advised that neither The Second Mile nor our programs are the subject of any investigation. Out of respect for all parties, we cannot discuss, speculate, or comment further.
The Second Mile is committed first and foremost to the safety and well-being of the children we serve. We have zero tolerance for abuse. This is why we have many policies and procedures designed to protect the children involved in our programs, including employee and volunteer background checks, training and supervision, and why we review our screening regularly as new best practices emerge. Throughout our history, there have never been allegations made with regard to misconduct occurring during any Second Mile program.
Last year, in our 28th year, The Second Mile served more than 100,000 Pennsylvania children through our nine programs and services, providing young people with mentors, foster families with activities, teens with leadership training, and school counselors with classroom programs. We remain committed to our mission – providing opportunities for young people to develop the positive life skills they need to achieve their potential as individuals and community members. We trust that the parents who have entrusted their children to us will know that they can continue to rely upon our integrity as an organization and upon that 28-year history of service and that the generous individual, corporate, and foundation donors who have made it possible for The Second Mile to provide these programs and services free of charge will continue to offer Pennsylvania children their critical support.
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