Wyatt Massey of Spotlight PA State College
Penn State Investigative ReporterMassey investigates how Penn State University operates, including its influence in the region and state. The university receives more than $300 million in funding from the state but evades most transparency measures under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law. Massey scrutinizes the main University Park campus as well as the university’s 19 additional branch campuses.
A native of rural Wisconsin, Massey previously covered faith and religion for the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Southeast Tennessee.
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Learn what Pennsylvania education records you can access, how to monitor leaders in your area, and what to do if you believe officials are not following the law. -
The performance-based funding model proposed by Gov. Josh Shapiro would tie state support for Penn State, Pitt, Temple, and Lincoln to metrics such as graduation rates or retention. -
A faculty member said Penn State’s promise to better fund existing DEI programs felt like “an attempt to pit people against one another.” -
A trustee proposed naming the field Friday, but withdrew the resolution minutes later after objections from Paterno’s son, Jay Paterno, who said it’s not the time to honor his father. -
The discussions, which come more than 12 years after Paterno’s firing amid the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal, might have violated the state’s open meetings law. -
Over the past 17 years, the Pennsylvania legislature has approved either flat or decreased funding, when adjusted for inflation, to the four-state related universities. -
A monthslong funding debate in the Pennsylvania legislature resulted in greater transparency rules for state-related universities and Penn State’s new accountability report. -
The U.S. Department of Education is looking into Penn State's compliance with the Clery Act after a student's questions about campus crime and timely warnings. -
In August, Tabitha Oman started as the university’s vice president and general counsel. She will also continue to act as chief ethics officer until her replacement is hired. -
A Spotlight PA review found that Penn State reported incorrect contract information, and a university trustee failed to disclose more than $250,000 paid to a related business over three years.
