Penn State's Al Lord says he won't seek second term as trustee
The alumni-elected trustee announced the decision days after telling a publication he was “running out of sympathy” for people he described as “so-called victims” of Jerry Sandusky.
HARRISBURG — Al Lord, the Pennsylvania State University trustee who told a publication he was "running out of sympathy" for people he described as "so-called victims" of Jerry Sandusky, said Wednesday he is no longer seeking a second term on the board.
Lord's announcement during a forum was first reported by Pennlive.com. The retired bank executive drew criticism for his Sandusky comments to The Chronicle of Higher Education. The comments followed former Penn State president Graham Spanier's misdemeanor child endangerment conviction on March 24 for his handling of a 2001 complaint against Sandusky.
Lord, elected in 2014, has been part of a group of nine alumni-elected trustees who have clashed with other board members about how the university has responded to the scandal involving Sandusky, the school's retired defensive football coach now in prison on a child molestation conviction.
I'll continue to work with you guys," Lord told other alumni candidates. "I'm just not sitting through any more of those meetings."
Lord sent an email to the Chronicle after Spanier's conviction that said he was "running out of sympathy for 35 yr old, so-called victims with 7 digit net worth."
He released a statement several days ago to the Daily Collegian, the Penn State student newspaper, apologizing for "any pain the comment may have caused actual victims."
Anthony Lubrano, a fellow alumni-elected trustee and Lord ally, said Lord told him the decision not to seek another term was not related to his comments to the Chronicle.
Of course I'm disappointed," said Lubrano, who deferred comment on Lord's comments regarding Sandusky victims. "Al was the most cerebral member of the board. He'll be missed."