Penn St. trustee: Legendary coach’s legacy ‘marred’ by former assistant’s sex abuse scandal

PHILADELPHIA – The chairwoman of Penn State’s board of trustees says the panel believes the legacy of the school’s legendary football coach “is now marred” by a child sex abuse scandal around his former assistant.

Joe Paterno led one of the most lucrative and storied teams in the U.S., but his 61 years of service ended with his firing when allegations against Jerry Sandusky became public last year.

Karen Peetz says the board “accepts full responsibility for the failures that occurred.”

A report released Thursday says the coach and other school officials “concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky’s child abuse” because of worries about bad publicity. The report came after an inquiry by former FBI director Louis Freeh that was requested by trustees.

Sandusky has been convicted of 45 criminal counts.