A group of Penn State trustees is calling on the entire board to reject the 2012 Freeh report on the Jerry Sandusky scandal. They said they’ve done their own in-depth review and are asking the board to release it.
That group met on the University Park campus today. But there weren’t enough board members to hold an official meeting.
In the middle of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, Penn State hired former FBI director Louis Freeh to conduct a review. His findings have been the source of controversy.
“Louis Freeh cast aspersions about this institution. We’re stained by that for eternity. And yet we as a board felt like we didn’t have an obligation to verify the veracity of that report?” said outgoing board member Anthony Lubrano.
Lubrano has been an outspoken critic of the report. He and other alumni-elected trustees said they spent nearly two and a half years reviewing the report.
They said they’re legally not allowed to release their findings, but called on the entire board to do so. They also called on the board to reject the Freeh report and consider seeking the return of the money paid for the Freeh report.
Trustee Alice Pope said trustees never voted to accept or reject the report.
“Rather, the board adopted a don’t ask, don’t look and don’t tell policy,” she said.
She said the costs to the university add up to $300 million dollars.
A few dozen supporters attended the meeting. That included former football player Franco Harris.
“We feel closure will come with what these guys are doing now, and that this will shed a lot of light on a lot of things," he said.
A Penn State spokesman said Trustee Chairman Mark Dambly has indicated willingness to schedule an executive session discussion in accordance with the judge’s confidentiality order.
