Penn State President Eric Barron to Start 'Thorough, Deliberate Review' of Freeh Report
ByIn light of new information brought forth by a lawsuit against the NCAA, Penn State President Eric Barron has announced he will review Louis Freeh's report on the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal.
Barron announced the review in a statement Saturday, indicating that his chief concern is ensuring Penn State's transparency in the matter. The NCAA is currently facing a lawsuit over the legality of their $60 million fine against Penn State and court documents have reveled previously unseen emails directly regarding the Freeh Report.
Penn State hired Freeh and his firm to conduct an independent review of the scandal as a whole. In July, 2012, Freeh concluded that several Penn State administrators conspired to cover up Sandusky's crimes, some of which were committed on campus.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, some members of the school's Board of Trustees have called for Penn State leadership to conduct such a review. With recent appointments of Barron, athletic director Sandy Barbour and head football coach James Franklin, the school has found permanent replacements for those implicated in the Freeh Report.
"On Friday, I informed the University's Board of Trustees that I will conduct a thorough review of the Freeh Report and supporting materials produced during the course of the investigation," Barron said in his statement. "The contents of the report have led to questions by some in the Penn State community. I do not want people to believe that Penn State is hiding something. I feel strongly about this. For this important reason, and since I was not here during its completion, I will conduct my own review. There is considerable documentation to analyze, but I assured the Board I would move with all deliberate speed."
Former president Graham Spanier, former athletic director Tim Curley and former vice president Gary Schultz are all face charges in relation to the alleged cover up, the Associated Press reported. Sandusky, 70, is essentially sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty and seeing his appeal attempts turned away.
Freeh's report used as the basis for the NCAA's sanctions against Penn State, which included temporary scholarship reductions, a four-year bowl ban, the $60 million fine and 211 vacated wins from 1998 to 2011.
Brought forward in court documents, various emails have indicated that Freeh communicated with the NCAA during his investigation. Other emails indicated that the NCAA questioned their own sanctions and even entertained the thought of shutting down Penn State's football program.