Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett Announces Lawsuit Against NCAA For Penn State Sanctions Over Sexual Abuse Scandal

On Wednesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett announced that he intends to ask a federal court to dismiss the multimillion-dollar sanctions given to Pennsylvania State University by the NCAA following the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal.

During a press conference early Wednesday at the Nittany Lion Inn on Penn State's campus, Corbett said, "This was a criminal matter, not a violation of NCAA rules." According to Reuters, the governor called the sanctions by the NCAA "overreaching and unlawful."

Corbett added that the sanctions were an "attack" on students and the commonwealth's economy, USA Today reported. "I have heard from many across Pennsylvania about sanctions and people are upset," the governor said. "People around the commonwealth have been harmed. Why punish citizens of Pennsylvania who had nothing to do with this?"

He said, "These punishments threaten to have a devastating, long-lasting and irreparable effect on the state, its citizens and its economy. I cannot and will not stand by and let it happen without a fight." 

The National Collegiate Athletic Association issued penalties to Penn State in July in response to its failure to stop Sandusky from sexually abusing children. The penalties included an unprecedented $60 million fine, a four-year postseason ban, 40 scholarship reductions and a void of the university's football wins from 1998 to 2011.

According to USA Today, the NCAA used a report by former FBI director Louis Freeh, who claimed that senior Penn State leaders didn't handle allegations of sexual abuse against Sandusky appropriately and that they could have stopped him from abusing young boys, instead of conducting an investigation. Despite being criticized for bypassing the investigation, NCAA President Mark Emmert has continuously defended the sanctions.

On Wednesday, the NCAA released a statement on its website criticizing the move by Gov. Corbett. The statement, written by NCAA Executive Vice President and General Counsel Donald M. Remy, read: "We are disappointed by the Governor's action today. Not only does this forthcoming lawsuit appear to be without merit, it is an affront to all the victims in this tragedy-lives that were destroyed by the criminal actions of Jerry Sandusky. While the innocence that was stolen can never be restored, Penn State has accepted the consequences for its role and the role of its employees and is moving forward. Today's announcement by the Governor is a setback to the University's efforts."

According to Reuters, a poll conducted by Franklin & Marshall College found that more than half of respondents believed that the NCAA's sanctions were unfair. The survey also found that voters also believed that Corbett, the attorney general of Pennsylvania at the time of the scandal, handled the scandal poorly.

Attorney General-elect Kathleen Kane, a Democrat, has promised to investigate Corbett's handling of the case, Reuters reported. The report added that Corbett, a Republican, has welcomed the investigation of his actions.

USA Today reported that Sandusky, 68, was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse in June and was sentenced to 30 to 60 years behind bars. The former assistant football coach has maintained his innocence and has started the process of appealing his sentencing.

Penn State has already made the first payment of $12 million of the sanctions towards a national fund to support the victims of child abuse, Reuters reported.