Paterno’s Family Plans Lawsuit Against NCAA
The estate of the late Penn State coach Joe Paterno and several university trustees and former players are planning to sue the NCAA over the landmark sanctions against the university for the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, according to a report.
The Paterno family’s attorney, Wick Sollers, told Bob Costas on the NBC Sports Network’s “Costas Tonight” show airing Wednesday evening that former coaches and faculty members are part of the suit. Excerpts from Costas’ exclusive interviews with Sollers and other representatives for the family were provided by the network.
The suit is designed “to redress the NCAA’s 100 percent adoption of the Freeh Report and imposition of a binding consent decree against Penn State University. The reality is that consent decree was imposed through coercion and threats behind the scenes and there was no ability for anyone to get redress,” Sollers told Costas.
Those sanctions, of course, included a four-year bowl ban, the vacating of 111 wins from Paterno’s record, and a $60 million fine. Gov. Tom Corbett is also suing the NCAA on behalf of the state; Penn State, however, says it intends to complywith the sanctions.
