The governing body of U.S. college sports on Wednesday appointed former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell to monitor Penn State’s compliance with sanctions it faces for failing to stop coach Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse of children.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, said Mitchell would have access to the school’s campus, personnel and records during his five-year appointment. He will make quarterly reports and can hire lawyers, investigators and experts to help monitor the school.
Last month, in the wake of the Sandusky child abuse scandal, the NCAA fined Penn State University $60 million, voided its football victories for the past 14 seasons, banned it from lucrative post-season games for four years and cut the number of scholarships available to players.
Aside from his 15-year career in the U.S. Senate representing Maine, Mitchell served as an adviser to President Bill Clinton on Ireland, led a fact-finding mission in the Middle East and headed up the investigation into performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball, among other assignments.
“Senator Mitchell has impeccable credentials as a fair and experienced arbitrator nationally and globally,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement. “He will bring the benefit of his vast experience and knowledge to the execution of the agreement.”
A spokesman for Penn State said school officials planned to meet with Mitchell shortly.
Penn State officials were accused of not taking action after being alerted that Sandusky, a former assistant football coach, was sexually abusing children. The scandal tainted one of college football’s leading coaches, the late Joe Paterno, and led to his firing last year along with other top school officials.
In June, Sandusky, 68, was convicted of sexually abusing 10 boys over a period of 15 years. He awaits sentencing.
I pray that Mitchell will go in there and do some digging and bring out all of the BOOSTERS that have financially supported Penn State, knew about the Sandusky case, and continued to cover it up…There are far more people involved with this than the President, the AD, and the coach and Asst. Coach…More people need to be criminally charged and the companies that supported Penn State and paid HUSH money need to be OUTTED
I would hope that the NCAA along with law enforcement around the country would be more alert to the other Sanduskys that seem to have a way with wrigling themselves into positions of trust. Then using thier position to prey on children.
Every parent needs to be wary of pedophiles. Every institution needs to be alert for the first signs of pedophelia within their organizations.
Most of all, children need to be educated at an early age as to what is appropriate behavior from adults toward them.
There are boogey men and women out there who will molest children. There alwas has been and in all likelyhood there always will be.
Begin the process with ankle bracelets for all.
Maybe he’s needed in Maine for this stuff too.