There’s been yet another development in one of the darkest and most sordid stories in the history of college football.
A federal judge in Scranton, Penn., has overturned former Penn State president Graham Spanier‘s conviction on misdemeanor child-endangerment charges, one day before he was scheduled to turn himself in to begin serving a two-month prison sentence. The Associated Press wrote that "[t]he decision by U.S. Magistrate Judge Karoline Mehalchick... gave state prosecutors three months to retry Spanier under the state’s 1995 child endangerment law, the version in place in 2001.”
In mid-March of 2017, ex-PSU athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz pleaded guilty to child endangerment charges for their roles in the Jerry Sandusky child-sex scandals that rocked the university in general and the football program specifically; a week or so later, former university president Graham Spanier was found guilty by a jury of one count of endangering the welfare of children for his role. In early June of that same year, Curley was sentenced to 7-23 months, with three of those months to be served in jail and four under house arrest; Schultz was sentenced to 6-23 months, with two of those months to be served in jail and four under house arrest; and Spanier was sentenced to 4-12 months, with two of those months to be served in jail and two under house arrest.
Spanier, who appealed his sentence, was also fined $7,500, Curley and Schultz $5,000 each. Additionally, all three former administrators were required to perform 200 hours of community service each.
All three were charged in 2011 after it was alleged that they failed to report a 2001 rape allegation involving Sandusky to police and child welfare officials. While the judge in the sentencing, John Boccabella, had harsh words for the defendants, he also chided the late Joe Paterno.
In the wake of the scandal that cost the coaching legend both his job and a sizable chunk of his legacy, Paterno himself stated in an interview that “I wish I had done more.” Judge Boccabella publicly wondered why he didn’t as well.
Paterno, he said, "could have made that phone call without so much as getting his hands dirty. Why he didn't is beyond me."
— Charles Thompson (@ChasThompson1) June 2, 2017
Sandusky, Paterno’s long-time assistant with the Nittany Lions, was found guilty on 45 of 48 child-sex-abuse charges in June of 2012 and is currently serving a sentence of at least 30 years.
