NCAA is sitting a dangerous president with decision

[HogScoutMaster]

If taking down a statue and banning the team from bowl games helps the vicitims heal then I'm glad they have done it.  That being said I don't think this is a situation the victims ever heal from.

dont know, never been one.  Since so many arent kissing the feet of a statue maybe the victims will see SOME justice prevailed.

[HG]

What blows my mind is the idea some people have that the wrong people are being punished.  The entire culture at Penn State was at fault from the trustees down to the players, students and fans.  Why was Joe Paterno able to exercise such power?  Because the trustees, boosters, fans, and especially the students allowed him to exercise such power.  When the non-powers that be went to Paterno's house to demand his retirement, why was he able to say no?  If they had fired him, would he, like Elijah have called down fire to consume them.  No, he would have called on the people listed above and those who had dared challege St. Joseph would have been destroyed by them.  That is why this punishment had to be handed down and why Penn State University had to be punished.  They are all guilty of having enabled Joe Paterno and by extension Jerry Sandusky.  Collectively they are guilty and collectively they have been punished.

I'm not disagreeing with your basic premise, but I'll have to disagree with your conclusion.  They certainly deified the man, but in order for your conclusions to be valid, you have to assume they'd have done so even with knowledge of the current situation (and a certain segment of them still refusing to back down on their support doesn't mean anything any more than a certain segment of any group persisting in their delusions.  If it did, we'd have to burn down pretty much every institution in existence.)  If you conclude their culture made it possible, it's only fair to ask whether said culture would have continued to make it possible if all the facts had been known.  "Culture" is an amorphous thing, and, collectively, only worth as much as the knowledge about the circumstances that the is collective privy to.  Had Sandusky never touched a child, had the program been run with absolute perfection until the day Paterno died, the "culture" wouldn't be guilty of a darned thing, after all.  It would just be a culture, one that outsiders might dislike but would have nothing concrete to criticize it for.

[BigDumb]

This whole thread sounds like a bunch of lawyers arguing. 

[Gonzo]

WHAT everyone FAILS to realize is that this PSU mess IS ITS first that the NCAA has had to deal with.

I am sure rules and laws will be put in to assist if this arises again.  PSU will be made an example, and I am OK with that.

If we're going to support the NCAA doing whatever they please this time "because PSU deserves it" and we didn't already have rules in place, why should they put any in place in the future? They can just make up whatever decision they want to then as well, and each incident thereafter.  I find that pretty disturbing actually.  Plenty of folks like it right up until it's their turn to be on the unpopular end of the question.


Go Hogs!!

[Gonzo]

This whole thread sounds like a bunch of lawyers arguing. 

Does not!!   



Go Hogs!!

[HG]

Well... it may turn out that you are like the French who laughed when Hitler invaded Poland, never stopping to think where he might invade next.

The head of the NCAA just slapped horrific sanctions on a member school without EVER notifying them of what regulation they supposedly violated, without any semblance of an investigation WHATSOEVER, without giving them an opportunity to be HEARD, and without possibility of APPEAL.

I don't care what they MAY have done.  I will NEVER support punishment without due process.    What are you going to say if today's NCAA comes after US?

Don't disagree on the latter part.  Whether the NCAA was right or wrong in its actions, due process on their part obviously didn't happen.  Simple experience tells us that -- the NCAA takes 3 months just to decide what font to use on their stern letters.

But Godwin's Law is well-known for a reason.  At some point, atrocities don't actually compare except in the most tenuous analogous sense.

[Hoggish1]

I don't think so.  To be guilty of LOIC, you must first have been found BY THE COMMITTEE to have committed multiple MAJOR INFRACTIONS.  Then the committee must find that your COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT was somehow lacking.  It doesn't have the first thing to do with what you think it does - not your fault, its being reported that way.   But go read the rule, the whole rule, and you'll see.

Why do I have a bee in my bonnet?  The NCAA just handed out draconian punishments while totally disregarding ALL of its own procedure.

Was PSU in violation of an NCAA regulation?  We'll never know.  They weren't even accused of a violation, much less LOIC.   They weren't given a hearing, and they have no right to appeal.  The NCAA DID NOT EVEN SAY WHAT RULE THEY WERE BEING PUNISHED UNDER.  Is that what you want from YOUR governing body?   Think about that.

I'm with you!!

NCAA gets to make an easy call (and pile on!) on the work of Freeh.  Where is Freeh when we need him about Auburn's and Miami's sins?

[HG]

This whole thread sounds like a bunch of lawyers arguing.

I'm not a lawyer.  I just spend a lot of time in court due to "misunderstandings."

[Hogpkins]

PSU consented to the NCAA's ruling and penalties.  What more due process do you need? 

As for your demand that the NCAA better articulate the specific rules PSU violated, Emmert was specific enough for me.  PSU violated the very spirit of the entire NCAA system.  I know some attorneys want to completely throw out common sense just to focus on the hyper-technical when it suits their argument, and that's what's going on here by NolanforAD.  Lawyers know that the law is flexible and, when it's working right, the spirit and intent of laws matter. 

As for your slippery slope argument, I understand that's a legitimate concern when we encounter a new problem like this.  Myself, I'm not worried about it.  And let's stop comparing the NCAA to a real government that could really lock you away.  All the NCAA can do is have some effect on the football team that you follow purely as a hobby.  Enough with the straw men.

[HG]

They have continued to support Paterno after the truth came out.

Yes.  I agreed that some have.  But as I said, that's not really relevant to the question of whether the "culture" as a while would have condoned it.  And even those supporting Paterno could claim -- perhaps even honestly in many cases -- that they certainly wouldn't stand by if they could actively watch the program continue to ignore and cover for child rapes.

[razorback3072]

Some people on here act like Emmert has been appointed dictator for life.  For one thing, he was only granted the power to act in this manner in this specific instance.  To act as such again, he would once again have to be granted this power.  If the presidents of the universities who make up the NCAA do not like this, they have the power to replace Emmert, the board who granted him this power and enact rules to prevent it from occuring again.  Emmert was able to act in this manner because he has the backing of the university presidents.

This^^^^^^

Here is the Board Executive Committee motion...

http://ncaa.s3.amazonaws.com/files/20120723/BOARD_EC%20MOTION.pdf

[Hoggish1]

Bad precedent or not, this is what the presidents and chancellors wanted.  They are tired of all the BS like went on at Ohio State, USC, and North Carolina.  Athletic directors, coaches and boosters across the nation have been put on notice.  No more winks and nods.  You get out of line and the hammer is coming down,, quickly.  I bet Miami and Al Golden crapped a brick this morning.

Well, if that were the case, I'd applaud it.  But I don't think the NCAA has finally gotten religion.  More likely they are using PSU to cover their past malfeasance.

[HG]

You are responsible for the culture you create and the excesses and wrongs which come from it.  I know that doesn't play well with today's situational ethics and lack of personal responsibility.

Not sure I follow why this is situational ethics.  The charges aren't being treated as situational, and there's nothing about punishing vague concept like "culture" that screams objective over situational.  I'd argue this is the very opposite of personal responsibility.  The people with known personal responsibility are all either dead, suffering from dementia, in jail, awaiting trial, or just being a big red-headed galumph who mysteriously hasn't suffered any worse than being put on indefinite leave and being lambasted on internet boards.  Saying someone has personal responsibility for what happens in the collective is tantamount to saying we all have personal responsibility for every crime committed in this country of ours.

[catfish07]

So you WANT the NCAA to be able to just declare punishment for unnamed offenses whenever they want?   Okay

The powers used in this case were approved for Emmert to use and PSU still had a chance to disagree. The NCAA is made up of members and it is accountable to its members. If Emmert wanted this authority again it would have to be approved. Even if it is approved the offending school could fight the sanctions and more than likely the "normal" investigative process would take place.

Sometimes the right thing is just that right; it does not have to follow guidelines for previously existing issues. Progress is made by seeing the flaws in something and taking measured steps to correct the problem.

[HogScoutMaster]

So you WANT the NCAA to be able to just declare punishment for unnamed offenses whenever they want?   Okay

I dont think any of them were unnamed, 45 gulity verdicts were read out.  Court of law found Jerry guilty so the offenses are there.  Seriously, are you saying PSU doesnt know WHAT they did wrong?  You almost sound like one of them PSU Fans.

[intoxhog]

This isn't a legal issue.

With 60 mil involved I belive it could/would be. I certainitly could understand if the NCAA could come out and say we don't reginize Penn State's wins during that time period though. Ill be  surprised if there is not some type of legal action taken on Penn State's part soon.

[jry04]

With 60 mil involved I belive it could/would be. I certainitly could understand if the NCAA could come out and say we don't reginize Penn State's wins during that time period though. Ill be  surprised if there is not some type of legal action taken on Penn State's part soon.

Pretty sure PSU agreed to the sanctions already...

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/07/penn_state_president_rodney_er_15.html

[razorback3072]

With 60 mil involved I belive it could/would be. I certainitly could understand if the NCAA could come out and say we don't reginize Penn State's wins during that time period though. Ill be  surprised if there is not some type of legal action taken on Penn State's part soon.

The PSU president signed a consent decree which is signing off on the penalties.  They are done.  There will be no lawsuits or appeals.

[Danny J]

I don't know what NCAA reg they violated.    Sure, Sandusky was guilty.  Did that violate any of the bylaws of your sewing circle?   

I think this was a horrible precedent set by the NCAA. This is the exact same way that governments grow out of control. It is indeed a slippery slope.

[thirrdegreetusker]

I said it before and will say it again, vacated wins = useless punishment.

If they made them forfeit the victories, that would be another story.

Agree, agree, agree. As lame as it is to make a team forfeit a game played three years ago, it is infinitely more ridiculous to "vacate" a win. The game got played; someone won.

[NaturalStateReb]

Well, Penn State didn't get the death penalty, but they might as well have.  Call it the Coma Penalty.

It's a massively crippling penalty.  $60 million gone.  Massive scholly reductions for 4 years that really hurt you for at least 6-8.  No bowls for 4 years, while the transfer exception virtually guarantees some sort of exodus of underclassmen/signees from Happy Valley--all we're talking about now is the scale of that exodus.  And the conference is withholding their share of conference bowl revenue.

While I agree that vacating wins isn't much of a penalty, it's never been used on 13 years' worth of wins and toppled a record holding coach. 

Brutal, but completely justified.  Exceptional wrongdoing demands exceptional sanctions.  Penn State was right to accept them and just try to get moving forward again as best they can.

[thirrdegreetusker]

What are these people going to say if the NCAA shows up tomorrow and hits us with two years probation for having five players arrested last year?    No notice.  No regulation which was violated.  Just a punishment.    What COULD you people say?

I am a litttle uneasy about the precedent, as well. Look at all the drug arrests, gun possession, domestic abuse, DWI, assault, theft, robbery, burglary, and murder........................done by scholarship athletes over the years. OU under Switzer, Miami under nearly everyone, Baylor basketball killing........"lack of institutional control" is an awful big brush to paint with.

PSU is an easy case.....but where do you draw the line?

SMU was easy. They got caught cheating, put on probabtion, and KEPT IT UP. SMU officials, with a straight face, later said they felt "contractually obligated" to keep paying the players to which they had already promised illegal inducements, even while on probation. So, hello death penalty.

[razorback3072]

Agree, agree, agree. As lame as it is to make a team forfeit a game played three years ago, it is infinitely more ridiculous to "vacate" a win. The game got played; someone won.

as of now, the 2010 PSU vs. OSU game no longer exists

[HG]

as of now, the 2010 PSU vs. OSU game no longer exists

Cute. 

Though nobody vacates losses, so the loser would still be in the books for the loss.

[jbcarol]

Penn St. 14  Ohio St. 38

Ohio St. had already vacated that victory.  Penn State hangs onto the loss.

[NaturalStateReb]

Nolan, I see where you're coming from, especially as a fellow lawyer.  It's the substance of justice without its forms or process.

What would you have done at Nuremburg? 

[catfish07]

Bad facts make bad law.    And every time there is someone like you, making arguments about how this is an isolated incident and it won't really affect how things are done in the future.   But when that next time comes up, and they aren't following the principles you so eloquently laid out, you are nowhere to be found.

Define how my post hinged on bad facts? Stating this is an isolated incident is the truth as this is the first time it has been used; to be used again would require approval that if granted would require the offending university to approve of the sanctions/mandate coming down. To act as if this is the new (standard) way of dealing with issues by the NCAA is wrong at this point.

I never stated this won't happen again (NCAA action) but I did state a lot would have to occur for the approval of this power to be used again. If this power is used with prudence and thought then it could be a great tool. However, if it is used without regard to the consequences then it will be a problem.

As for your final statement I would ask you do not make general statements as if they apply to me. I stand behind my opinions, right and wrong, and am accountable for what I say, type, etc.

[catfish07]

Define how my post hinged on bad facts? Stating this is an isolated incident is the truth as this is the first time it has been used; to be used again would require approval that if granted would require the offending university to approve of the sanctions/mandate coming down. To act as if this is the new (standard) way of dealing with issues by the NCAA is wrong at this point.

I never stated this won't happen again (NCAA action) but I did state a lot would have to occur for the approval of this power to be used again. If this power is used with prudence and thought then it could be a great tool. However, if it is used without regard to the consequences then it will be a problem.

As for your final statement I would ask you do not make general statements as if they apply to me. I stand behind my opinions, right and wrong, and am accountable for what I say, type, etc.

I want to point out I am not ok with how the sanctions came about. I think more needed to be done. I do think the NCAA should have the ability (with protocols) to act quickly when a unique situation exist.

I am firmly in the camp this should not have resulted in ANY NCAA sanctions.

[Pulled(PP)pork]

again, that's why the term "unprecedented" was used.....hopefully, this will be the deterrant for any other future cover up in the NCAA system.


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[hogcard1964]

Pretty sure PSU agreed to the sanctions already...

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/07/penn_state_president_rodney_er_15.html

Which means there's a lot more bad that went on that we don't know about. Who's to say Paterno, McQueery, Curley, Smart... were A LOT closer to these crimes than previously reported?

If I had to guess, there's a lot on Paterno that we'll never know about.

[Mick Hogger]

Why is no one complaining about the actions the Big 10 Conference took against them? I don't see anyone asking for the rulebook regarding that punishment and how they came to their conclusions.

The NCAA finally got one right. 

[Mick Hogger]

[KC Hawg]

Nolan, agree with everything you've said the past couple of days.  The NCAA has ignored due process and just punished PSU without cause.  PSU should be punished by the LEGAL system, not the collegate sports governing body.  Again, what rule in the NCAA handbook did PSU break?  Isn't that a simple question?

For those of you who keep bringing up the fact that PSU gave the consent decree, check out the link.  Basically, the NCAA prez was using a low grade form of blackmail.  Either take whatever charges I want to give you or we'll investigate.  And if we investigate and find ANYTHING, it's a 4 year death penalty for yo' azzes.  What choice did they really have?  The prez decided HE wanted PSU to pay, and he manipulated the system to make it happen.  Scary time for the NCAA and its members.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf--mark-emmert-ncaa-president-penn-state-sanctions-exclusive-interview-joe-paterno.html

[Bud Light Hog]

PSU consented to the NCAA's ruling and penalties.  What more due process do you need? 

As for your demand that the NCAA better articulate the specific rules PSU violated, Emmert was specific enough for me.  PSU violated the very spirit of the entire NCAA system.  I know some attorneys want to completely throw out common sense just to focus on the hyper-technical when it suits their argument, and that's what's going on here by NolanforAD.  Lawyers know that the law is flexible and, when it's working right, the spirit and intent of laws matter. 

As for your slippery slope argument, I understand that's a legitimate concern when we encounter a new problem like this.  Myself, I'm not worried about it.  And let's stop comparing the NCAA to a real government that could really lock you away.  All the NCAA can do is have some effect on the football team that you follow purely as a hobby.  Enough with the straw men.

I can go to bed now, there are rational people out there after all. Nolan you lose this case. If Broyles as a coach had allowed a Sandusky type figure run around and abuse I'd feel the exact same way.

[Uncle_dad]

Perhaps they should have just made Penn St keep Nutters as their coach for ten years.

[JFHWGBKRIII]

Didn't see this posted.  Sorry if duplicate.


http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/53734/paterno-family-statement-on-ncaa-ruling

[thebignasty]

Godwin's Law will never die.  Whatever form the Internet will have taken in the year 3012, people will still be comparing the circumstances surrounding their pet issues to Hitler and the Nazis.  Xar'flu the Devouring SpaceBeast will be widely reviled for its SS-like tactics when conquering Mars.

Nose spewing worthy.

[humphrey]

again, that's why the term "unprecedented" was used.....hopefully, this will be the deterrant for any other future cover up in the NCAA system.


Pulled out...

This surely is bad publicity for Ped State, but I don't think its as bad as somepeople are making it out to be.

1) $60 MM fine?  They have a large endowment and a generous fanbase, so $60 MM isn't all that much for them.

2) Scholarship loss.  This one hurts.

3) Bowl ban?  This one doesn't make any sense.  Its redundant.  If they lose 10 scholarships and all their players can transfer immediately, they won't be very good and they won't win enough to go to a bowl.  Kind of like breaking a guy's legs, then telling him that you won't let him walk while his legs are broken.

4) Vacating wins?  We all said this was meaningless when it happened to tOSU last year.  Its just as meaningless now.

So, they hit PSU with a fine, scholarship losses, bowl ban, and vacating wins.  tOSU was hit with a $300k fine, 9 scholarship losses, a bowl ban (1 yr), and vacating a win.

There's not much difference in those two scenarios, except for the severity.

[jbcarol]

Oh, I always suspect that when someone waives due process, it is because they don't want more discovery.

--Cecil Hurt who covers Bama.

[jbcarol]

Erickson said Penn State could have faced a multiyear shutdown of football and still would have endured additional penalties had he not taken the NCAA's terms. "I accepted this consent decree on behalf of the university, knowing that if we did not accept the sanctions we most surely would have faced the death penalty for football over multiple years and the prospects of additional sanctions," he said. "I felt, after conferring with board leadership and others, that it was in the best interest of the university to accept the sanctions that were offered rather than have the death penalty imposed on Penn State."

[Pulled(PP)pork]

This surely is bad publicity for Ped State, but I don't think its as bad as somepeople are making it out to be.

There's not much difference in those two scenarios, except for the severity.

when I refer to that term, I meant it was "unprecedented" for a university to systematically cover up these heinous crimes, after the powers that be were aware of what was going on, and dropped the ball.  so, in return, the NCAA came back with "unprecedented" punishment, in hopes of sending the message to every member institution that there is a unwritten morality clause in the agreement they signed when joining the NCAA. 

at least that's my opinion


Pulled out...

[Biggus Piggus]

http://michaelbucknerlaw.wordpress.com/

1. NCAA Executive Committee went beyond its stated authority in directing Emmert to arbitrarily punish Penn State without a specific change of policy to guide his action.

2. This brand-new power of the NCAA president to use punitive sanctions is apparently unlimited by rules, and member institutions have no idea what could trigger future sanctions.

3. Penn State and its employees did not violate any NCAA rule. The NCAA has never punished a member school for crime. Nothing in the NCAA Manual applies. Emmert made his own rules.

4. The NCAA did not comply with its own rules and regulations in this instance. Plenty of other jurisdictions exist that regulate Penn State.

[Pulled(PP)pork]

http://michaelbucknerlaw.wordpress.com/

1. NCAA Executive Committee went beyond its stated authority in directing Emmert to arbitrarily punish Penn State without a specific change of policy to guide his action.

2. This brand-new power of the NCAA president to use punitive sanctions is apparently unlimited by rules, and member institutions have no idea what could trigger future sanctions.

3. Penn State and its employees did not violate any NCAA rule. The NCAA has never punished a member school for crime. Nothing in the NCAA Manual applies. Emmert made his own rules.

4. The NCAA did not comply with its own rules and regulations in this instance. Plenty of other jurisdictions exist that regulate Penn State.

incorrect, giving a pedophile his own office in the athletic building, and then turning a blind eye about what he is doing,  will trigger sanctions.

is that new?  didn't we realize that in the Scam Newton case, at least they got this one right.



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[Biggus Piggus]

incorrect, giving a pedophile his own office in the athletic building, and then turning a blind eye about what he is doing,  will trigger sanctions.

is that new?  didn't we realize that in the Scam Newton case, at least they got this one right.

You do not seem to have given the material even a cursory read. This is true: Member institutions have no idea what might trigger a future infraction, if this newfound power remains unlimited as it is now. Don't care what you think about the Penn State case. That is irrelevant.

[Pulled(PP)pork]

You do not seem to have given the material even a cursory read. This is true: Member institutions have no idea what might trigger a future infraction, if this newfound power remains unlimited as it is now. Don't care what you think about the Penn State case. That is irrelevant.

you are right, I didn't, I trust you hit the high points.  but my comments were spot on.  we definitely know what will bring sanctions, concerning pedophilia and systematic sweeping under the rug.  think of it this way, if you fired a gun off in your front yard, yet there were no laws or statutes against it, would you be surprised if someone said or did anything legally?  you have to use the common sense the good lord gave you.

what's being lost in all of this is the reason for the sanctions, everyone (penn staters) want to bitch about those, but not about why wasn't something done sooner.  I tell my kids all the time, tell the truth upfront, the punishment is less severe.....if they try to cover it up with lies or shady shenanigans, guess what...


Pulled out...

[jbcarol]

State Farm isn't going to be there

State Farm is pulling its ads from Penn State football broadcasts, while General Motors is reconsidering its sponsorship deal and Wall Street is threatening to downgrade the school's credit rating...

[urkillnmesmalls]

State Farm isn't going to be there

But...but...why?  Isn't the punishment under the law enough?  Why punish them further? (sarcasm off)

Obviously, the NCAA isn't the only entity who feels that they tarnished themselves and feel they deserve punishment.  I guess everyone else is dumb too.   

[ArkansasI]

About 20 years ago I had the distinct honor of being a student of Al Witte at the University of Arkansas School of Law.  Al was a very distinguished law professor and shared with his classes a very dry sense of humor that was, and I suspect remains, all too rare.  I wish that there were more Al Wittes in the world.

As luck would have it, Al had recently served as President of the NCAA when I was in school.  He wrapped up his Presidential term on 12/31/90.  One day during the spring of 1992, Al challenged my class to identify exactly what the NCAA is/was...  In typical Witte fashion, he encouraged us to drive to Kansas City, Kansas and define exactly what we found.  He - the immediate past president - insisted that the NCAA did not exist.

I'm not certain that any of us knew exactly what Al meant by his comments, but what I gained from the conversation was that this man believed the NCAA was impossible to define.  It - as an organization/governing body - did not fit into any known category of organization.  To a lawyer, that is a very dangerous thing.

President Emmert's actions in levying heavy fines against Penn State have done nothing to quash those concerns.  Penn State's acceptance of a $60,000,000.00 penalty only tells me that there is way too much money being spent on inter-collegiate athletics.  We - the human race - should find more important ways to spend our money.

Aparently, Penn State has more than enough money to set up a $60,000,000.00 endowment for child protection programs.  Why wouldn't they support that initiative given what they've just put themselves through?  This doesn't make Emmert right - only affordable.

This fixes nothing.

[Fatty McGee]

About 20 years ago I had the distinct honor of being a student of Al Witte at the University of Arkansas School of Law.  Al was a very distinguished law professor and shared with his classes a very dry sense of humor that was, and I suspect remains, all too rare.  I wish that there were more Al Wittes in the world.

As luck would have it, Al had recently served as President of the NCAA when I was in school.  He wrapped up his Presidential term on 12/31/90.  One day during the spring of 1992, Al challenged my class to identify exactly what the NCAA is/was...  In typical Witte fashion, he encouraged us to drive to Kansas City, Kansas and define exactly what we found.  He - the immediate past president - insisted that the NCAA did not exist.

I'm not certain that any of us knew exactly what Al meant by his comments, but what I gained from the conversation was that this man believed the NCAA was impossible to define.  It - as an organization/governing body - did not fit into any known category of organization.  To a lawyer, that is a very dangerous thing.

President Emmert's actions in levying heavy fines against Penn State have done nothing to quash those concerns.  Penn State's acceptance of a $60,000,000.00 penalty only tells me that there is way too much money being spent on inter-collegiate athletics.  We - the human race - should find more important ways to spend our money.

Aparently, Penn State has more than enough money to set up a $60,000,000.00 endowment for child protection programs.  Why wouldn't they support that initiative given what they've just put themselves through?  This doesn't make Emmert right - only affordable.

This fixes nothing.

Excellent post.

[jbcarol]

Lawyers: Man claims to be Sandusky shower victim, plans to sue Penn State

A man who claims to be the unknown victim molested in a Penn State shower by Jerry Sandusky in a case that led to Joe Paterno's firing intends to sue the university for its "egregious and reckless conduct" that facilitated the abuse, his lawyers said Thursday.

The university said in a statement that it is taking the case seriously but cannot comment on pending litigation.