According to new reports by Reuters Penn State University incurred a cost of nearly $17 million in legal fees and other related expenses in the infamous child-sex abuse case involving former assistant football coach, Jerry Sandusky.
According to the report, the university spent around $10 million in internal investigation and crisis communications, $4 million in university legal services and defense and approximately $1.2 million in miscellaneous expenses. In addition to these expenses, the university has to pay $60 million in fines placed on it by the National Colligate Athletic Association.
In July, the NCAA announced that Penn State University would be charged a $60 million fine for its role in the cover-up of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal. The decision comes after the agency reviewed the Freeh report, an FBI investigation report that revealed top university officials including the head football coach, Joe Paterno and Athletic Director Tim Curly involved in obscuring former PSU assistant football coach Sandusky in various child sex-abuse allegations.
In addition to the huge fine, the NCAA is taking away all Paterno wins since 1998 and slapping the university with a four year post football season ban. In addition, the NCAA grants any current player at PSU to transfer immediately and become eligible to play anywhere else.
The 267 page report was formed over seven months of investigation, more than 400 interviews, and a review of over 3.5 million documents by former FBI director Louis Freeh.
In May, a jury of seven women and five men found the 68 year-old guilty of 45 out of the 48 counts against him for sexual abuse of ten young boys over a span of 15 years. Sandusky, 68, is currently in Centre County prison awaiting his sentencing, which is scheduled to be held in soon . He could face a maximum sentence of 373 years.
