PHILADELPHIA _ Five years after Pennsylvania State University was rocked by the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal, the fallout continues, this time with the U.S. Department of Education levying the largest fine in history against the school for violations of federal crime reporting laws.
The department said it will seek to fine the university $2.4 million for 11 violations, the largest fine ever assessed under the federal Clery Act.
The department on Thursday afternoon released a 239-page report on its investigation into the university's compliance with the act, which it began just days after Sandusky was indicted for assaulting young boys on and off campus. The investigation covered a period beginning in 1998 when the first complaint about Sandusky's abuse surfaced through 2011 when the former assistant football coach was indicted by a grand jury, along with two former Penn State administrators, charged with covering up Sandusky's abuse.
Under the Clery Act, colleges and universities are required to disclose the number of criminal offenses on campus that are reported each year and issue timely warnings if there is an ongoing threat to students and staff.
According to the report, only $27,500 of the fine is related to the Sandusky matter. The department is seeking to levy the biggest portion of the fine, about $2.1 million, for failure to properly classify reported incidents and disclose crime statistics from 2008-11.
The previous record fine under Clery was $357,500 imposed on Eastern Michigan University, the education department said. Under a settlement, the university paid $350,000.
The fine comes just days after a jury ordered the university to pay $7.3 million to Mike McQueary, the graduate assistant football coach who blamed school officials for destroying his life and coaching career after he became the primary witness against Sandusky and the Penn State administrators charged with covering up the crimes. McQueary had reported to campus officials in 2001 that he had seen Sandusky assaulting a young boy in a campus shower.
Former Penn State President Graham B. Spanier, former Athletic Director Tim Curley and former Vice President Gary Schultz continue to face charges of child endangerment and failure to report child abuse in the case.
Minutes after the report was released, Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers issued a statement, emphasizing the university's overhaul of campus safety and governance regulations after the scandal.
"While regrettably we cannot change the past, today the university has been recognized for significantly strengthening our programs since 2011," Powers said. "The safety and security of our university community is a top priority and we are dedicated to full compliance with the Clery Act and the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act."
The Clery Center, which helps universities comply with the federal law, said the report and fine offers "powerful guidance for institutions across the country." While the report highlights violations related to Sandusky's abuse, it also notes other deficiencies in Penn State's crime reporting operation, the center said in a statement.
"These findings provide colleges and universities an opportunity to proactively address campus safety and compliance on their campuses and should initiate candid discussions with leaders and the campus community as a whole," the center said in its statement.
