SCANDAL’S LONG HISTORY
First accusation against Penn State assistant coach was in 1998
By Sarah Ryley Friday, November 11, 2011
Jerry Sandusky worked for Penn State for 32 years as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator. He is charged with sexually abusing eight boys, whom he recruited through his charity for troubled boys, The Second Mile, from 1994 to 2009.
15 ADULTS WHO KNEW ABOUT ALLEGATIONS OF SANDUSKY’S BEHAVIOR BEFORE THE ARREST:
Joe Paterno, the legendary Penn State University football coach who was in his 46th season, was fired by the school’s board of trustees Wednesday.
Graham B. Spanier, Penn State’s president since 1995, also was fired by the board of trustees Wednesday. He was told of the 2002 shower incident but did not report the matter to police.
Tim Curley, Penn State’s athletic director, is charged by the state attorney general with perjury and failing to report to authorities what he knew of the allegations.
Gary Schultz, Penn State’s senior vice president for finance and business, is charged by the attorney general with perjury and failing to report to authorities what he knew of the allegations.
Mike McQueary, Penn State assistant football coach, says he witnessed Sandusky having anal sex with a boy in the shower in 2002 and reported the incident to his higher-ups.
Jim Calhoun, a janitor who saw Sandusky performing oral sex on a boy in 2000, suffers from dementia and is not competent to testify.
Ronald Petrosky, another janitor, was approached by a shaking and crying Calhoun in 2000. He testified that the janitors were afraid they’d lose their jobs if they told on Sandusky.
Jay Witherite, the janitors’ immediate supervisor, was told of the 2000 incident and left it up to Calhoun to report it.
Ray Gricar, formerly Centre County district attorney, investigated a 1998 claim about Sandusky acting inappropriately with a boy in the shower. He disappeared in 2005.
Ronald Schreffler, a campus detective, was told in 1998 to close the case on Sandusky.
Jerry Lauro, an investigator with the state Department of Child Welfare, interviewed Sandusky on the 1998 incident.
Thomas Harmon was director of campus police in 1998, when Sandusky was investigated.
Ralph Ralston, another campus police officer, worked on the Sandusky case in 1998.
Dr. Jack Raykovitz, executive director of The Second Mile, allegedly was notified of the anal sex incident in 2002.
Wendell Courtney was university counsel during the 1998 investigation and remains counsel for The Second Mile.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
1977: Sandusky starts The Second Mile, a group foster home for troubled young boys that grew into a statewide charity serving hundreds of young boys.
1998: Victim 6 tells his mother that he was lathered and bear-hugged by Sandusky in the shower. His mother tells Penn State campus police.
May 13 and 19, 1998: Police eavesdrop on a phone conversation during which Victim 6’s mother confronts Sandusky and tries to make him promise never to shower with a boy again. Sandusky will not promise. She asks if Sandusky’s “private parts” touched Victim 6; Sandusky responds, “Maybe,” and tells her, “I wish I were dead.”
June 1, 1998: Sandusky is interviewed by investigator Lauro and campus detective Schreffler, and admits to hugging Victim 6 naked in the shower, saying that he knows it was wrong. He is told to stop showering with children.
Schreffler and Gricar, the district attorney, decide against criminal charges. A similar incident with a victim referred to as B.K. was also investigated. Schreffler testified that Harmon, then campus police director, told him to close the case.
May 1999: Paterno tells Sandusky he will not be the next head coach of Penn State. Sandusky retires but negotiates emeritus status, giving him an office and access to facilities.
Fall 2000: Calhoun, the janitor, observes Sandusky in the shower of the Lasch Building performing oral sex on a young boy pinned up against the wall, and tells other janitors and his supervisor. Fellow janitor Petrosky later testifies they were afraid they’d lose their jobs if they told anyone what they saw.
March 1, 2002: McQueary enters the locker room at Penn State’s football building at about 9:30 p.m. and hears the shower running and “rhythmic, slapping sounds.” He sees Sandusky having anal sex with Victim 2, who appears to be 10 years old. McQueary goes to his office and calls his father.
March 2, 2002: McQueary shows up at Paterno’s house and reports what he saw.
March 3, 2002: Paterno calls Curley to his house to report that McQueary saw Sandusky doing something sexual in the locker room showers. Schultz testifies that he was then called to a meeting with Paterno and Curley, during which Paterno reported “disturbing” and “inappropriate” conduct in the shower by Sandusky.
Approx. March 13, 2002: McQueary is called to meet with Curley and Schultz, and reports what he saw. Curley and Schultz say they will look into it. Curley later testifies that McQueary only reported “inappropriate contact,” not anal sex. However, Schultz testifies that he had the impression that Sandusky grabbed the boy’s genitals.
April 2002: McQueary hears from Curley, who says that Sandusky returned his keys to the locker room and was prohibited from bringing youths on campus, and that the incident was reported to The Second Mile executive director Raykovitz.
July 2009: Victim 1’s mother calls the high school to report inappropriate behavior. Sandusky is barred from the school and police are called.
September 2010: Sandusky retires from The Second Mile.
December 2010: McQueary testifies to the grand jury.
Nov. 5, 2011: Sandusky is arrested.
Nov. 9, 2011: Paterno and Spanier are fired.
