Paterno family drops lawsuit against NCAA for use of Freeh Report
The lawsuit filed by the late Joe Paterno’s family against the NCAA didn’t reach a dramatic verdict. Instead, it fizzled out before it got to that point.
The NCAA announced on Friday that the Paterno estate dropped the lawsuit for its use of the Freeh Report in the Jerry Sandusky child molestation trial. That report, which detailed Paterno’s lack of proper protocol after he learned of Sandusky’s abuse, was used to punish Paterno and Penn State.
Paterno’s estate, his son Jay and former assistant William Kenney elected not to continue the case. The NCAA report said there wasn’t a financial settlement and that it was a “total victory” for the organization.
“The Paterno family characterized this case as a ‘search for the truth,’ ” Donald Remy, NCAA chief legal officer, said in a statement. “Its decision today, after years of investigation and discovery, to abandon its lawsuit rather than subject those facts to courtroom examination is telling.
“It is disappointing that so much time, effort, and financial resources have been wasted on efforts by the Paterno family in this litigation. We must not lose sight of the fact that the real victims are the dozens of innocent children abused by Jerry Sandusky.”
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The lawsuit was filed by the Paterno family after it claimed the Freeh Report damaged its estate’s commercial interests. That was motivated by claims from Kenney and Jay Paterno that they couldn’t find comparable work after their exit from Penn State.
Jay Paterno was, however, elected by alumni to a seat on Penn State’s board of trustees this past May.
Sandusky is currently serving 30-60 years in prison for 45 counts of sexually abusing 10 boys.