|
Public relations expert Jonathan Bernstein, president of Bernstein Crisis Management Inc. and the author of texts on crisis communications, said he would have advised the Paterno family to issue a "short message of compassion" for Sandusky's victims and then conduct its own investigation quietly if it disagreed with the conclusions of the Freeh report.
Announcing the probe now could wind up backfiring on the family, he said, because there will be pressure to release the findings publicly and "the results of the investigation could end up corroborating what was said in the Freeh report."
Monday's statement was issued amid calls for the removal of the famed statue of Paterno outside Beaver Stadium. A university spokesman said Sunday there's been no decision on the sculpture's fate.
Penn State President Rodney Erickson on Monday vowed cooperation with further investigations but also said decisions about the future "will take time."
Erickson wrote in a message to students, faculty and staff on Monday that the eight months since Sandusky was charged have been "heart-wrenching and difficult" and said his heart was heavy for the victims.
"We can never again allow this to happen," he said, adding that the university was committed to ensuring the safety of children on campus and increasing awareness of child sex abuse and mistreatment.
Meanwhile, Penn State spokesman David La Torre confirmed that certain elements of the retirement package given to Sandusky had been revoked by the university, though he did not say if that was after Sandusky's arrest in November or after his conviction last month.
Sandusky, who will likely spend the rest of his life in prison, lost four free season tickets for football; a pair of men's and women's basketball tickets for life; access to locker, fitness training and weight rooms; and an on-campus office.
But La Torre said Penn State would not seek repayment of a $168,000 lump sum also included in the retirement package.
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching & Learning | Home and Family | Tourism | Obituaries
Community |
Perspectives
|
Law & Courts |
Leisure Time
|
Spiritual Life |
Health & Fitness |
Teen Scene
Calendar
|
Letters to the Editor