'Victim 1' in Sandusky's Trial to Sue Penn State
ByTrouble continues to brew for Penn State. The man whose allegations in 2009 led to charges against university leaders and officials has decided to sue the university too, a report by The Associated Press states.
The lawsuit was filed Friday by the man identified only as 'Victim 1' during the Jerry Sandusky trial. It says that university officials intentionally decided not to report any complaints of sexual abuse by Sandusky to authorities.
It describes the deeds committed by the university officials as "a function of (Penn State's) purposeful, deliberate and shameful subordination of the safety of children to its economic self-interests, and to its interest in maintaining and perpetuating its reputation."
This lawsuit filed by 'Victim 1' also states that a 'special relationship' existed between the school and Sandusky's charity The Second Mile, which gave Sandusky a reputable image and connections that allowed him to commit his wrongful deeds, reports AP.
It claims that 'Victim 1' met Sandusky about eight years ago, when the boy was 11 and a first-year participant in a camp sponsored by The Second Mile.
Sandusky sexually assaulted the boy more than a hundred times over a period of three years, says the suit, including fondling and oral sex. The lawsuit also claims that Sandusky attacked 'numerous victims over a span of 30 years', but acknowledged that his criminal trial was limited to a 15-year period and 10 victims.
'Victim 1' is reportedly referred to only as 'John Doe C' in the suit. According to the AP, the suit is heavily based on statements from court testimony, grand jury investigations and Penn State's own investigative report conducted by retired FBI agent Louis Freeh. It is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
The Penn state-commissioned Louis Freeh report said university leaders had refused to report the sex abuse incidents to protect the university from 'bad press'.
Jerry Sandusky was convicted in June over 45 counts of child molestation and is awaiting his sentence.
In November 2011, Tim Curley, the school's former athletic director, and Gary Schultz, former vice president of Penn State were charged with concealing child sex-abuse allegations against Sandusky and later lying about their involvement to a grand jury.
Last month, the shower abuse victim of Sandusky, known as 'Victim 2', announced through his lawyers that he would be suing the university for its 'egregious and reckless conduct' that facilitated the abuse.