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 In a poll of 1,023 residents, 59 percent support putting the
statue of the famed football coach in a “place of prominence," while
25 percent oppose such a move.
Paterno was a legendary figure on Penn State's campus, who saw his
reputation left in tatters in the wake of child sex abuse charges
against Jerry Sandusky, his former defensive football coach.
Sandusky, 70, is serving 30 to 60 years in prison after being
convicted of molesting 10 boys. Officials at Penn State, including
Paterno, drew withering criticism for not taking action after being
alerted that Sandusky was sexually abusing children, sometimes in
locker room showers.
The university removed its 7-foot statue of Paterno following
Sandusky's conviction in 2012. At the time, it was bracing for
crippling sanctions from the NCAA, under which the university was
fined $60 million and saw 111 of Paterno's wins with the Nittany
Lions vacated.
 Paterno died of lung cancer in January 2012 at the age of 85 shortly
after the university fired him.
But a die-hard contingent of believers worked tirelessly to get the
statue back and restore Paterno's legacy, citing his major financial
donations to the school to build libraries, and his commitment to
high academic standards for student athletes.
In January, the NCAA reversed the sanctions against the school and
restored Paterno's record as the winningest coach in major college
football to settle a lawsuit by a state senator and the state's
treasurer.
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The NCAA agreed to restore 112 wins - 111 of which were Paterno's -
to Penn State's record.
The settlement with the NCAA is slightly more popular than restoring
the statue. By a margin of nearly 50 percent, 64 percent of the
state's residents support the settlement, while 15 percent oppose
it.
The poll was conducted from Jan. 22 to Feb. 1 and has a margin of
error of 3.1 percent.
(Reporting by Steve Ginsburg; Editing by Eric Walsh)
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