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Maribeth Roman SchmidtExecutive DirectorPenn Staters for Responsible Stewardship215-620-4210 mschmidt@September 4, 2014Ed CunninghamCommentatorESPN College Game DayESPN PlazaBristol, CT 06010Dear Ed,I run a volunteer organization called Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship (). More than 40,000 alumni and friends strong, we’ve been working diligently to combat the decisions of the Penn State Board of Trustees since November 2011. We’re responsible for the nine new trustees who all oppose the Freeh Report. And we’re always in search of journalists who will help us reasonably question the unfathomable series of events that unfairly damaged the reputation of a wonderful university, football program, community and so many loyal and dignified employees and leaders, including Joe Paterno and his family. ?That brings me to your commentary during last weekend’s Penn State - UCF game in Dublin. I couldn’t help but flinch when I heard your comments at the end of the game regarding how “everyone was embarrassed at what happened there at the end of Joe Paterno's tenure.” I don’t know of a single Penn State alumnus who is embarrassed about Joe Paterno. However, we were and still are very much embarrassed by the failure of leadership at the school. Maybe that’s what you meant?Obviously, we’re horribly embarrassed by Jerry Sandusky for being the vile criminal that he is. We’re furiously embarrassed by our former president Rodney Erickson for folding to NCAA pressure when they had no jurisdiction and no case in leveling their sanctions. And, there’s simply no end to the embarrassment we have for the trustees who’ve not exhibited an ounce of good judgment or fiduciary responsibility to figure out exactly what happened before they fired Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier. Yes, we are all very embarrassed by the University’s actions, but not at all by Joe’s. To that end, and because I’m a fan of your work as producer of “Undefeated,” I thought I’d take a moment to share some facts about the Sandusky/Penn State case that you may not know (or may have forgotten, given the way it’s dragged on). I’d be grateful for your time to consider the enormity of the injustice that continues to occur. In a survey conducted more than two years into the Sandusky scandal, 81 percent of Penn State alumni made it quite clear that they were not embarrassed by Joe Paterno, in that they indicated they wanted the University to honor him. Paterno was not only NOT convicted of any crime, he was never charged with a crime, and didn’t witness a crime. In fact, Joe was a Commonwealth witness who offered testimony at the Grand Jury proceedings. On national television, Sandusky prosecutor Frank Fina said he found no evidence that Joe Paterno knew of, or orchestrated, a cover up of any kind.Just two weeks ago, the NCAA’s executive committee – the same committee which approved the Penn State sanctions --- announced a new policy on athletic departments handling of sexual assault allegations. This policy mirrors EXACTLY the procedure that Joe Paterno followed when first approached by assistant Mike McQueary in 2001.Joe Paterno followed University policy and Pennsylvania state law to the letter when he went “up the chain of command,” as we have learned from child abuse/protection professionals is the proper, lawful way to handle such an allegation. For detail, please see statutes 23 PA.C.S.6301, 23 PA.C.S. 6337, and 23 PA.C.S. 6340.The PA Pension System overturned its decision to withhold Jerry Sandusky’s pension because they relied on the Freeh Report and found it to be 85 percent inaccurate regarding this issue. The examiner then called into question the veracity of the entire report. In fact, Freeh has produced several reports found to be structurally deficient and complete reputation destroyers: Richard Jewel/Atlanta bombing, Okada/Wynn Resorts, FIFA, and Wen Ho Lee, to name a few. Further, the Penn State Freeh Report has not been viewed as a credible document by a single legal expert who has reviewed it to date. Among other criticisms, Freeh did not have subpoena power with those he queried, and failed to even meet with or interview the central figures of the case: Paterno, McQueary, Curley, Shultz, Baldwin or Courtney.The first time someone reported abuse by Jerry Sandusky (in 1998), the police were called as soon as it was reported. Within a short time, the Office of Children and Youth AND the District Attorney investigated. It's hard to imagine how LESS covered up something can be than when the police, OCY, and the DA all investigated. The PA Office of Children and Youth ignored Dr. Chambers (the victim’s own psychologist) that Sandusky exhibited textbook grooming behavior, and instead relied on an unlicensed psychologist (legal at the time) to clear him of that 1998 rmation on the alleged/suspected abuse was turned over to the Second Mile, which either sat on it (in violation of mandated duty to report) or did report and the proper PA government agency failed to investigate Jerry Sandusky.The three Penn State administrators who were indicted nearly THREE years ago have yet to see their day in court. This unprecedented delay has been surrounded by very mysterious appeals by Penn State and clandestine document sealing by the PA court system.The Second Mile, Sandusky’s charity that served as the incubator for his access to vulnerable children, has yet to face the music. It, and its administration, have surreptitiously escaped the media’s glare, in favor of the more salacious, yet false “big time university sports” angle. Second Mile board members collectively donated more than $650,000 to then-Attorney General Tom Corbett’s 2009 gubernatorial campaign, at the very time that the Sandusky investigation stalled in the AG’s office. We are very hopeful that a much deeper federal investigation is well underway surrounding these circumstances.The NCAA clearly violated its own rules and regulations to conduct a review and mandatory investigation process as outlined in the NCAA rules and regulations. Instead, it relied solely on the faulty Freeh Report, a document that has not ever been formally reviewed, voted on or accepted by the Penn State Board of Trustees.Finally, if you haven’t done so already, I strongly encourage you to read Jay Paterno’s new book, PATERNO LEGACY, specifically the first chapter entitled, “The Elephant in the Room,” which straightens out so many inaccuracies of the current narrative. I understand you will be in Beaver Stadium this Saturday to call the Akron game. In the short term, I respectfully ask you to keep some of these thoughts in the forefront of your mind. In the longer term, I’d very much welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss the potential for your interest in helping us to right this ship.Many thanks in advance,Maribeth Roman SchmidtExecutive DirectorPenn Staters for Responsible Stewardship ................
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