POLICE Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Report: Penn State Officials Disregarded Sandusky Victims

Top Penn State officials demonstrated little concern for the welfare of Jerry Sandusky's victims until after his arrest, former FBI Director Louis Freeh found in his investigation of the case.

July 12, 2012

Top Penn State officials demonstrated little concern for the welfare of Jerry Sandusky's victims until after his arrest, former FBI Director Louis J. Freeh found in his investigation of the case.

Freeh's 267-page report, released Thursday, singled out former university president Graham Spanier, vice president Gary Schultz, coach Joe Paterno and athletic director Tim Curley. Freeh, now a federal judge, was also highly critical of Penn State's board of trustees.

Ad Loading...

"The most saddening finding by the Special Investigative counsel is the total and consistent disregard by the most senior leaders at Penn State for the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims," Freeh wrote in his report.

"There was no 'attempt to investigate, to identify Victim 2, or to protect that child or any others from similar conduct except as related to preventing its re-occurrence on university property,'" Freeh wrote, quoting an earlier grand jury report.

In June, a jury found former assistant football coach Sandusky guilty of 45 out of 48 charges of child sex abuse. The university appointed Freeh as a special investigator in November 2011 to review the case.

Penn State's top administrators "failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade," the report claims. "These men concealed Sandusky's activities from the Board of Trustees, the university community and authorities. They exhibited a striking lack of empathy for Sandusky's victims by failing to inquire as to their safety and well-being, especially by not attempting to determine the identity of the child who Sandusky assaulted in the Lasch Building in 2001."

The report also criticized school leaders for failing to notify authorities, after assistant football coach Mike McQueary reported seeing Sandusky with a victim in the locker room shower on Feb. 9, 2001. "They exposed this child to additional harm by alerting Sandusky, who was the only one who knew the child's identity," according to the report.

Ad Loading...

"These individuals, unchecked by the Board of Trustees that did not perform its oversight duties, empowered Sandusky to attract potential victims to the campus and football events by allowing him to have continued, unrestricted and unsupervised access to the university's facilities and affiliation with the university's prominent football program.

"Some coaches, administrators and football program staff members ignored the red flags of Sandusky’s behaviors, and no one warned the public about him," Freeh wrote.

The report goes on to state that Spanier failed in his duties as president of Penn State by not promptly telling the board of trustees about the 1998 and 2001 allegations against Sandusky. Freeh also claims the board failed to oversee Spanier and other top university officials by not inquiring about important university matters and "by not creating an environment where senior university officials felt accountable."

Penn State officials are currently reviewing the report.

"We want to ensure we are giving the report careful scrutiny and consideration before making any announcements or recommendations," the school said in a statement . "We are convening an internal team comprising the Board of Trustees, university administration and our legal counsel to begin analyzing the report and digesting Judge Freeh's findings."

Ad Loading...

School officials vowed to "take every action to ensure that events like these never happen again in our university community," reports Campus Safety Magazine .

Read the full report here .

Related:

Former FBI Director Leads Wide-Ranging Penn State Probe

Ad Loading...

More Patrol

Screenshot of compute screen showing a blurred license plate compared to an image where the image has been enhanced to show the numbers and letters.
Patrolby Edited by StaffNovember 25, 2025

Amped Highlights Power Behind Amped FIVE Software

Amped FIVE empowers you to advance your investigations with confidence and precision, from the crime scene all the way to the courtroom.

Read More →
Background orange tinted image of southern California with pushpin marking Burbank. Headline reads K-9 Killed by Gunman, Burbank Police Department
PatrolNovember 24, 2025

Police K-9 Killed, Suspect Dies in Shootout with Cops

A Burbank Police Department K-9 was fatally shot over the weekend by a passenger who fled on foot from a traffic stop. The armed suspect was killed in a shootout with officers.

Read More →
Thumbnail image with blue and red police lights against a black background, large POLICE logo, headline for From the Show Floor: InVeris
Patrolby Wayne ParhamNovember 23, 2025

From the Show Floor: InVeris

In this video, learn about how InVeris provides training to law enforcement, including customized augmented reality scenarios. The augmented reality system can scan up to 10,000 square feet of real-life environments and create a curriculum based on those spaces.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Thumbnail image for video series POLICE From the Show Floor featuring Polaris Government & Defense.
Patrolby Wayne ParhamNovember 19, 2025

From the Show Floor: Polaris Government & Defense

Learn about Polaris Government & Defense in this video as POLICE visits their show booth to discover their side-by-sides and the advantages they provide for agencies.

Read More →
black background width image of police lights in middle and headline Dashcam Video Officers rescue Man from Burning Car
PatrolNovember 17, 2025

Dashcam Video Shows Officers Rescue Man from Burning Car

Dashcam video released by a New Jersey police department shows two of its officers rescuing an unconscious man from a burning car after a crash.

Read More →
blue background with image of a red dot sight and also second image of the red dot on a handgun lower right
PatrolNovember 17, 2025

Aimpoint COA optic + A-CUT Named Red Dot of the Year

The Aimpoint COA optic + A-CUT system has been named Red Dot of the Year by Guns & Ammo magazine. The new optic system was introduced in January 2025.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Thumbnail for video series POLICE From the Show Floor, with headline text featuring Axon
Patrolby Wayne ParhamNovember 16, 2025

From the Show Floor: Axon

Join POLICE as we visit with Abi Stock, of Axon, to learn about the company’s latest technology offerings, such as Axon Assistant, Form One, and the DFR integration with Skydio.

Read More →
side view of a ballistic helmet in studio setting, black background, with sparks and smoke
PatrolNovember 16, 2025

Back Face Deformation, Brain Injury and Ballistic Helmets – Why the “Dent Doesn’t Matter” Claim Ignores Science

Alex Poythress, co-founder and CEO of Ballistic Armor Co., explains why ballistic helmet buyers should insist on full test data, including BFD measurements, standoff distance, and padding configuration, rather than rely solely on penetration ratings.

Read More →
Pink Streamlight Wedge XT flashlight.
PatrolNovember 13, 2025

Streamlight Marks 15 Years of Support for Breast Cancer Research Foundation With $20k Donation

In its 15th year of supporting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Streamlight donated $20,000 to help in the fight against cancer. Donations were generated through the sale of special Wedge XT models and other pink flashlights.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
center circle image of PTSD Help Expanded surrounded by military and first responder images
PatrolNovember 11, 2025

Police-Led Mental Health Charity Expands to Include Veterans

Talk To Me Post Tour (TTMPT), a non-profit organization that has been providing peer-support programs and professional psychological support for first responders, is now expanding services to military veterans.

Read More →