Penn State to Be Investigated by Department of Education, by Mackenzie Weinger, The Politico, November 9, 2011

Penn State to Be Investigated by Department of Education

By Mackenzie Weinger
The Politico
November 9, 2011

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/67999.html

Allegations of sexual misconduct against Sandusky have prompted a federal investigation. | AP Photo

The Department of Education announced Wednesday it will investigate whether Penn State's handling of sexual misconduct allegations made against former defense coordinator Jerry Sandusky violated federal law.The department is launching an investigation into whether Penn State failed to comply with the Clery Act, which requires colleges and universities to disclose the number of criminal offenses reported on campus.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan stated that if the allegations against Sandusky — who faces 40 counts of charges related to the sexual abuse of numerous children — are true and the university did not report the abuse, it would be a tragedy. Schools and officials have a "legal and moral responsibility" to protect children, he said.

"If these allegations of sexual abuse are true, then this is a horrible tragedy for those young boys," Duncan said in a statement. "If it turns out that some people at the school knew of the abuse and did nothing or covered it up, that makes it even worse. Schools and school officials have a legal and moral responsibility to protect children and young people from violence and abuse."

Department officials informed Penn State of the investigation in a letter Wednesday, according to a press release.

The Office of Federal Student Aid will investigate whether Penn State violated the Clery Act, the Education Department stated in a press release, and the Office of Civil Rights will look into whether additional investigations are necessary.

On Tuesday, Rep. Patrick Meehan, a Republican from Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, urged Duncan in a letter to probe "whether federal law was broken in the failure of properly report allegations of sexual abuse at Penn State," POLITICO reported.

Sandusky is charged with sexually abusing eight boys over a 15-year period, both before and after his 1999 retirement. He continued to have access to the university's facilities after retirement.

Two high-ranking Penn State administrators, athletic director Tim Curley and university official Gary Schultz, also resigned; they were charged with lying to a grand jury investigating Sandusky. Legendary coach Joe Paterno has not been charged, but said he would retire at the end of the season. Later Wednesday, the university's board of trustees decided he and Penn State President Graham Spanier would have to leave immediately.