Penn State approves 'extraordinary' payout for Sandusky victims

Pennsylvania State University's board of trustees voted Thursday to pay an undisclosed amount - what one trustee called "an extraordinary" sum - to settle claims filed by sexual-abuse victims of Jerry Sandusky.

In a special meeting held by teleconference, the board voted, 18-6, to approve the settlement. It did not disclose the size of the payout, the case details, or names of any plaintiffs. Sources had told The Inquirer that the meeting was being called solely to settle at least one Sandusky-related lawsuit.

Board members who opposed the agreement argued that Sandusky had acted as a "lone wolf" and that the university was being unfairly targeted for its deep pockets.

In a statement read aloud to his fellow trustees, Ryan McCombie, who was not present for the vote, said the driving force behind approving "this extraordinary expenditure of funds" seemed to be "the pro-victim bias of the Pennsylvania court system."

The university had already agreed to pay nearly $60 million to 26 other victims in 2013 to settle their claims of abuse at the hands of the former assistant football coach, now imprisoned for sexually assaulting young boys. At least three lawsuits were pending in which the university is a defendant, court records show.

The dissenters said the board was making a decision without enough information about the school's role in the abuse.

"While I appreciate the work of people on the legal subcommittee, a 30-minute phone conference for me doesn't cut it for me when it comes to any decision involving this kind of magnitude and this kind of money from the university," said trustee William Oldsey.

Trustee Bob Jubelirer echoed the sentiment, saying the school is "a deep-pocketed university and we have been targeted."

He added: "We need to put a stop to the spigot that has been turned on, and actually fight back and stand up for the university. It's time that we have to say, no more."

None of the 18 board members who voted "yes" offered a comment before the roll call.

In a statement, school officials said they might release details of the settlements "at a later date when other settlements are made, so that the disclosure of the information does not inadvertently violate the confidentiality agreements."

A spokesman, Lawrence Lokman, said the school community remains "committed to helping survivors heal and to educating others about these insidious crimes against children."

A search of state and federal court records showed three open cases against Penn State, Sandusky, and the charity organization for children he founded, the Second Mile. Two were filed on behalf of victims who testified during Sandusky's trial.

One, identified as John Doe No. 6, was 11 when he reported showering with Sandusky on campus in 1998. That case was the first known instance of Penn State administrators' receiving hints of Sandusky's pedophilia. The suit was filed in federal court in 2013.

A second suit, from Victim No. 9, was filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court in 2013. The boy was 12 when, he said, his abuse began in 2005. It continued for almost four years and through encounters that, the suit states, included having lunch with Sandusky and former head football coach Joe Paterno. Sandusky was convicted of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and other charges based on Victim No. 9's testimony.

The plaintiff in the third suit, identified as D.F., also filed in Common Pleas Court, in 2014. He says he was 8 when he met Sandusky in 2004, and claims two instances of sexual assault, one in 2008 and the other in 2008 or 2009. D.F. is seeking $50,000 in punitive damages.

The suit does not mention D.F. as having testified against Sandusky, though it does say he was interviewed by police in 2012.

The victims all say they met Sandusky through the Second Mile, the now-defunct charity. The claim of liability for Penn State stems from allegations that key administrators had knowledge of Sandusky's tendencies and did not act on that information.