I think, like many others, there is a legal obligation and also a moral obligation.
Penn State coach Joe Paterno answers questions during his weekly NCAA college football news conference, in State College, Pa., in this Oct. 25, 2011 file photo. (Ralph Wilson/AP Photo)Auto Start: On | OffShareEmail70 Comments Print Single Page
Text Size- / +By COLLEEN CURRY
Nov. 8, 2011
Penn State officials said today they have no information that iconic football coach Joe Paterno is getting the boot, despite a report that the school's board of trustees is pushing him out as a result of the child abuse scandal that has rocked the university.
Representatives from the public information office, board of trustees, and football department all denied being told anything that pointed to Paterno being removed from the head coach position, which he's held for 46 years.
The comments were in response to a New York Times story that cited two anonymous sources claiming that the board of trustees had made a decision to remove Paterno from his position "within days or weeks."
The football department said that Paterno will be at the helm of the team as it plays Nebraska this Saturday. A board member told ABCNews.com that the news of Paterno being forced out "sounds like a crazy report," but that she had no first hand knowledge of the meetings taking place.
The chairman of the board, Steve Garban, was unable to take phone calls and had meetings scheduled all day, according to his family.
The Times report came as public appearances by Paterno and university president Graham Spanier were both cancelled today in the wake of the devastating sex abuse scandal that has triggered calls for their resignations.
Ralph Wilson/AP PhotoPenn State coach Joe Paterno answers... View Full Size Ralph Wilson/AP PhotoPenn State coach Joe Paterno answers questions during his weekly NCAA college football news conference, in State College, Pa., in this Oct. 25, 2011 file photo.
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Outside of his home today, Paterno told reporters and fans that he wanted to have the news conference, which was cancelled just an hour before it was set to begin.
"I know you guys have a lot of questions and I was hoping I was going to be able to answer them today," Paterno said. "We'll try to do it as soon as we can. Can't do it today."
Paterno's son, Scott Paterno, echoed the comments, saying "He did in fact want to do this at the press conference day."
The university said the cancellation was due to the "on-going legal circumstances centered around the recent allegations and charges," and would not be rescheduled.
Scott Paterno also said that his father had not had any talks with officials about stepping down.
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The news of Paterno's news conference cancellation came shortly after Spanier announced that he was backing out of an honorary dinner on Wednesday at which he and his wife would be recognized for their contributions to the Penn State community.
Both Paterno and Spanier were said by authorities to have been told of allegations of sexual abuse of children by assistant football coach Gerald "Jerry" Sandusky. Two other university officials-- athletic director Tim Curly and Vice President of Finance Gary Shultz--have been charged with failing to report the crimes and lying to a grand jury during an investigation.
Paterno today would have faced questions for the first time in public of why he did not report the allegations to police.
In 2002, graduate assistant coach Mike McQueary allegedly saw Sandusky in the shower of the football team's locker rooms sexually assaulting a young boy of about 10. McQueary told Paterno what he saw, and rather than tell the police, Paterno reported the information to his boss, Curly, and then never spoke of the incident again, according to a grand jury presentment.
Paterno released a statement Sunday saying he "did what (he) was supposed to do" by reporting the incident only to his supervisor, Curly.
Curly and his supervisor, Shultz, did not report the incident to police. They then told Spanier that Sandusky had been seen acting inappropriately with a boy in the showers and had therefore restricted his access to campus grounds. Spanier approved, and did not contact the police.
Under Pennsylvania state law, only Curly and Shultz were responsible for contacting the police to report the incident, according to the attorney general.
