I don't want to hear any of that stuff,' Paterno told Sandusky accuser in 1976: deposition
Joe Paterno, hoisted by his Penn State football team, heard child sex abuse allegations related to Jerry Sandusky in the 1970s, according to a deposition released Tuesday. (The Associated Press/file)
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By Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com
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on July 12, 2016 at 10:03 AM, updated July 12, 2016 at 10:19 AM
SANDUSKY ALLEGATIONS REACHED PSU DECADES AGO
A man who claims he was sexually abused at a Penn State football camp by Jerry Sanduskysaid in an October 2014 deposition that he reported the incident to Penn State head coach Joe Paterno the next day.
Paterno told him, according to the victims' report, "I have a football season to worry about."
Paterno then walked away with no further response, the victim said, apparently headed to a coaches' meeting.
The incident appears to be the 1976 incident that court papers allege was reported directly to Paterno.
The excerpt of the deposition was in a battery of court filings unsealed Tuesday in a court case involving Penn State's attempts to win reimbursement of civil settlement payments it has paid to Sandusky victims.
The man, identified as John Doe 150, said Sandusky moved his hand down his back and fingered his rear end in a PSU shower facility, and he immediately shouted out: "He stuck his finger in my ass."
Sandusky – who had been identified to him prior to the incident – immediately apologized, the man recalled, saying: "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize i was getting that close."
The man said he knew that other campers in the shower room heard him yell out, and he also told "several coaches" at the camp about the incident, but no one took any immediate action.
That's in part, he said, why he sought out Joe Paterno the next day.
Insurance expert: Penn State had six chances to tell us about Sandusky problems
Insurance company expert cites cases between 1976 and 2001.
The man said he went to an unspecified office at Penn State, and approached the head coach directly. "He said, follow me, I have a meeting to go to."
The man said he told Paterno directly what had happened the day before. He was not sure if several other people that were walking along with the coach heard the report.
As Paterno walked away, the youth said, "I said, is that all you're going to do? You're not going to do anything else?"
"And then you say he just walked away from you?" the questioner asked.
"Just walked away."
Doe 150 said he has since only told one other person about the incident, a woman whose name was redacted from the deposition but was identified as a Penn State alum in the State College area.
Doe 150 said he told her about the incident sometime in the early 1990s, and that's where the excerpt of his deposition ends.
John Doe 150 was one of the 32 persons to receive a settlement payment from Penn State.
His deposition was taken by Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association Insurance Co. in connection with the civil case over reimbursement for those payments. There was no opportunity for Paterno's family to cross-examine him.
The Paternos have disputed his account.
Here is a statement they released about John Doe 150's testimony this morning:
"From the beginning, the Paterno family has been outspoken in their desire for the complete truth in the Sandusky tragedy. They have also repeatedly called for due process for all affected parties. With this latest release of information, the total mishandling of the Sandusky investigation is highlighted once again.
"The overwhelming evidence confirms that Joe Paterno never engaged in a cover up of Jerry Sandusky's crimes. Multiple independent parties have confirmed this conclusion. In fact, consistent with University rules, Joe reported an allegation about Sandusky to administration officials. As President Barron stated in his message to the University earlier today, an environment where faculty and staff feel protected in reporting wrongdoing is a key objective of the University.
"The materials released today relating to Joe Paterno allege a conversation that occurred decades ago where all parties except the accuser are now dead. In addition, there are numerous specific elements of the accusations that defy all logic and have never been subjected to even the most basic objective examination. Most significantly, there is extensive evidence that stands in stark contrast to this claim.
"That Penn State chose to settle claims without fully assessing the underlying facts is something that the University obviously felt they had to do to help resolve this matter. We understand their desire for closure, but it does not remotely validate the assertions about an uncorroborated conversation with Joe Paterno.
"When the Sandusky scandal first became public in 2011, there was a lot of rhetoric in the media about using this case as a model to help prevent other child sex abuse scandals. Sadly, one of the lessons from the Sandusky tragedy is how not to investigate a crime of this type."
Penn State vs. PMA case: Exhibit Z by PennLive on Scribd
Joe Paterno, hoisted by his Penn State football team, heard child sex abuse allegations related to Jerry Sandusky in the 1970s, according to a deposition released Tuesday. (The Associated Press/file)
By Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com Follow on Twitter
on July 12, 2016 at 10:03 AM, updated July 12, 2016 at 10:19 AM
SANDUSKY ALLEGATIONS REACHED PSU DECADES AGO
- 'I don't want to hear any of that stuff,' Paterno told Sandusky accuser in 1976: deposition
- Penn State heard from Jerry Sandusky accusers decades ago: Read documents
- 'It got repetitive': Victim details Sandusky abuse in hot tub, room
- Insurance expert: Penn State had six chances to tell us about Sandusky problems
- Judge unseals records on claim Paterno knew earlier about Sandusky child abuse
A man who claims he was sexually abused at a Penn State football camp by Jerry Sanduskysaid in an October 2014 deposition that he reported the incident to Penn State head coach Joe Paterno the next day.
Paterno told him, according to the victims' report, "I have a football season to worry about."
Paterno then walked away with no further response, the victim said, apparently headed to a coaches' meeting.
The incident appears to be the 1976 incident that court papers allege was reported directly to Paterno.
The excerpt of the deposition was in a battery of court filings unsealed Tuesday in a court case involving Penn State's attempts to win reimbursement of civil settlement payments it has paid to Sandusky victims.
The man, identified as John Doe 150, said Sandusky moved his hand down his back and fingered his rear end in a PSU shower facility, and he immediately shouted out: "He stuck his finger in my ass."
Sandusky – who had been identified to him prior to the incident – immediately apologized, the man recalled, saying: "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize i was getting that close."
The man said he knew that other campers in the shower room heard him yell out, and he also told "several coaches" at the camp about the incident, but no one took any immediate action.
That's in part, he said, why he sought out Joe Paterno the next day.
Insurance expert: Penn State had six chances to tell us about Sandusky problems
Insurance company expert cites cases between 1976 and 2001.
The man said he went to an unspecified office at Penn State, and approached the head coach directly. "He said, follow me, I have a meeting to go to."
The man said he told Paterno directly what had happened the day before. He was not sure if several other people that were walking along with the coach heard the report.
As Paterno walked away, the youth said, "I said, is that all you're going to do? You're not going to do anything else?"
"And then you say he just walked away from you?" the questioner asked.
"Just walked away."
Doe 150 said he has since only told one other person about the incident, a woman whose name was redacted from the deposition but was identified as a Penn State alum in the State College area.
Doe 150 said he told her about the incident sometime in the early 1990s, and that's where the excerpt of his deposition ends.
John Doe 150 was one of the 32 persons to receive a settlement payment from Penn State.
His deposition was taken by Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association Insurance Co. in connection with the civil case over reimbursement for those payments. There was no opportunity for Paterno's family to cross-examine him.
The Paternos have disputed his account.
Here is a statement they released about John Doe 150's testimony this morning:
"From the beginning, the Paterno family has been outspoken in their desire for the complete truth in the Sandusky tragedy. They have also repeatedly called for due process for all affected parties. With this latest release of information, the total mishandling of the Sandusky investigation is highlighted once again.
"The overwhelming evidence confirms that Joe Paterno never engaged in a cover up of Jerry Sandusky's crimes. Multiple independent parties have confirmed this conclusion. In fact, consistent with University rules, Joe reported an allegation about Sandusky to administration officials. As President Barron stated in his message to the University earlier today, an environment where faculty and staff feel protected in reporting wrongdoing is a key objective of the University.
"The materials released today relating to Joe Paterno allege a conversation that occurred decades ago where all parties except the accuser are now dead. In addition, there are numerous specific elements of the accusations that defy all logic and have never been subjected to even the most basic objective examination. Most significantly, there is extensive evidence that stands in stark contrast to this claim.
"That Penn State chose to settle claims without fully assessing the underlying facts is something that the University obviously felt they had to do to help resolve this matter. We understand their desire for closure, but it does not remotely validate the assertions about an uncorroborated conversation with Joe Paterno.
"When the Sandusky scandal first became public in 2011, there was a lot of rhetoric in the media about using this case as a model to help prevent other child sex abuse scandals. Sadly, one of the lessons from the Sandusky tragedy is how not to investigate a crime of this type."
Penn State vs. PMA case: Exhibit Z by PennLive on Scribd
