Penn State Faculty Senate Condemns Freeh Report, NCAA Sanctions
ByThe Penn State Faculty Senate has issued a statement expressing their dismay over the way NCAA handled the issue and has severely criticized Louis Freeh for basing the report on 'conjectures and suppositions.'
About 30 past chairs of the faculty senate, which has 'legislative authority on all matters pertaining to the educational interests of the university,' issued the statement titled 'Regarding the Freeh Report, the NCAA Consent Decree, and Their Academic Implications' dated Aug.28.
While expressing outrage over, 'horrible crimes against vulnerable young boys', the senate said that the 'broader circumstances around the Sandusky crimes have become distorted.'
It went on to say that the university has been wrongly punished for the foot ball culture that does not even exist in the school. The senate report, citing the NCAA consent decree which claims that the university holds its football program 'in higher esteem than the values of the institution, the values of the NCAA, the values of higher education, and most disturbingly the values of human decency,' said such claim doesn't hold true.
"..these [NCAA] assertions do not describe the culture with which we are so very familiar," says the statement which then delves into specifics saying the faculty has never ever been asked to grant academic favours to athletes nor they have heard about any such instances.
"We know that there are no phantom courses or bogus majors for athletes at Penn State."
The senate's displeasure with the NCAA appeared to have stemmed from its (NCAA) decision to base its ruling on the Louis Freeh report's findings rather than conducting an independent investigation. The authors of the senate faculty report slammed the Louis Freeh report saying that it 'adds layers of conjecture and supposition to create a portrait of fault, complicity, and malfeasance that could well be at odds with the truth.' But, the senate was quick to add that it is not being judgemental of individuals surrounding the Sandusky trial.
Though, the report is extremely critical of Louis Freeh report and NCAA actions, it does acknowledge 'the need for greater vigilance and stronger policies' in Penn State.
As per the report by USA Today, the statement was authored by Kim Steiner, professor of forest biology and chair of the Faculty Senate in 2004-05, and John Nichols, retired professor of communications and international affairs and Faculty Senate chair in 2001-02.
Despite such frequent attacks on the report, Louis Freeh has stood his ground and said to AP Tuesday that his inability to interview the key witnesses did not compromise the report.