PSU's Spanier denied a trip to Saudi Arabia
Former Pennsylvania State University president Graham B. Spanier won't go to Saudi Arabia this fall after all. Commonwealth Court denied Spanier's request to travel there to meet with higher education officials, noting that the lack of an extradition treaty between the United States and Saudi Arabia would make it impossible to force him back.
Former Pennsylvania State University president Graham B. Spanier won't go to Saudi Arabia this fall after all.
Commonwealth Court denied Spanier's request to travel there to meet with higher education officials, noting that the lack of an extradition treaty between the United States and Saudi Arabia would make it impossible to force him back.
Spanier is awaiting trial on perjury and conspiracy charges connected to the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal, and has been barred since August 2013 from leaving the country without approval of the court and the attorney general.
The former university president asked the court earlier this month if he could make the trip to Saudi Arabia. The court had granted his requests for international travel several times in the past, including a trip to Saudi Arabia last year.
Spanier, a sociologist, lives in State College, Pa., and remains a tenured member of the Penn State faculty as the court case filed against him in 2012 drags on. No court date has been set.
He has been accused of conspiring with other administrators to cover up Sandusky's crimes to preserve Penn State's reputation. He resigned in November 2011 after Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant football coach, was indicted on charges that he had abused young boys. Sandusky is in prison, serving at least 30 years.
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