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BINDINGCONSENTDECREEIMPOSEDBYTHENATIONALCOLLEGIATEATHLETICASSOCIATIONANDACCEPTEDBYTHEPENNSYLVANIASTATEUNIVERSITYI.BASISFORCONSENTDECREE
OnNovember5,201I,theNationalCollegiateAthleticAssociation("NCAA"orthe"Association")learnedofallegationsofchildsexualabuseoccurringintheathleticfacilitiesofThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity("University"or"PennState"),perpetratedbyformerassistantfootballcoachGerald
A.
Sandusky("Sandusky").TheUniversitycommissionedFreehSporkin
&
Sullivan,LLP("FSS"),ledbyformerFBIDirectorLouisFreeh,toinvestigatetheallegedfailureofUniversitypersonneltorespondtoandreportSandusky'smisconduct,and"[t]hecircumstancesunderwhichsuchabusecouldoccurinUniversityfacilitiesorundertheauspicesofUniversityprogramsfor
youth.:"
OnJune22,2012,aCriminalJuryconvictedSanduskyon45criminalcountsrelatedto10victims,includinga2001incidentthatOCCUlTedntheUniversityathleticshowersandwaswitnessedbyathen-graduateassistant.OnJuly12,2012,FSSreleaseditsinvestigativereport(the"FreehReport").TheFreehReport'sfindingsdepictanenvironmentshapedbytheactionsandinactionsofmembersoftheleadershipandboardofPennStatethatallowedSandusky'sserialchildsexualabuse.TheNCAArecognizesthatthecircumstancesinvolvedinthePennStatematterare,inmanyrespects,unlikeanymatterencounteredbytheNCAAinthepast;itisdoubtful,hopefully,thatasimilarcircumstancewouldariseonanyothercampusinthefuture.
In
particular,theegregiousnessofthepredicateconductisunprecedented,amountingtoafailureofinstitutionalandindividualintegrityfarexceedingalackofinstitutionalcontrolorindividualunethicalconduct.TheUniversityhasundertakenacommendableprocessbycommissioningtheindependentFSSinvestigation.FSShasestablishedanexhaustivefactualrecordcompiledfrom,
interalia,
morethan430interviewsandanalysisofmorethan3.5millionpiecesofelectronicdataanddocuments.'
In
lightofthisrecordandtheUniversity'swillingness,forpurposesofthisresolution,toaccepttheFreehReport,whichtheUniversityitselfcommissioned,traditionalinvestigativeandadministrativeproceedingswouldbeduplicativeandunnecessary.Rather,theexistingrecordpermitsfashioninganappropriateremedyfortheviolationsonanexpeditedtimetable,whichbenefitscurrentandfutureUniversitystudents,facultyandstaff.FreehSporkin
&
Sullivan,LLP,ReportoftheSpecialInvestigativeCounselRegardingtheActionsofThePennsylvaniaStateUniversityRelatedtotheChildSexualAbuseCommittedbyGerald
A.
Sandusky,July12,2012,page8,
availableat
http://www.thefreehreportonpsu.com/REPORT_FINAL_071212.Pdf·2Jd.at9.
 
II.FINDINGSANDCONCLUSIONS
InaNovember17,2011letterfromNCAAPresidentMarkEmmerttoUniversityPresidentRodneyErickson,Dr.EmmertnotedthatthemembershipoftheAssociationhasmadeclearinitsConstitutionandBylawswhatisexpectedofmemberinstitutions,administratorsandcoaches.PennStatewasaskedtodescribehowtheUniversityandrelevantpersonnelhavemettheirobligationstotheAssociation.PennStatehascommunicatedtotheNCAAthatitacceptsthefindingsoftheFreehReportforpurposesofthisresolutionandacknowledgesthatthosefactsconstituteviolationsoftheConstitutionalandBylawprinciplesdescribedintheletter.PennStateexpresslyagreesnottochallengetheconsentdecreeandwaivesanyclaimtofurtherprocess,including,withoutlimitation,anyrighttoadeterminationofviolationsbytheNCAACommitteeonInfractions,anyappealunderNCAArules,andanyjudicialprocessrelatedtothesubjectmatterofthisConsentDecree.Therefore,withoutfurtherinvestigationorresponse,thefindingsoftheCriminalJuryandtheFreehReportestablishafactualbasisfromwhichtheNCAAconcludesthatPennStatebreachedthestandardsexpectedbyandarticulatedintheNCAAConstitutionandBylaws.
1.
Afailuretovalueandupholdinstitutionalintegritydemonstratedbyinadequate,andinsomeinstancesnon-existent,controlsandoversightsurroundingtheathleticsprogramoftheUniversity,suchasthosecontrolsprescribedbyArticles2.1,6.01.1,and6.4oftheNCAAConstitution.2.Afailuretomaintainminimalstandardsofappropriateandresponsibleconduct.TheNCAAseekstofosteranenvironmentandcultureofhonesty,asexemplifiedbyNCAABylaws10.01.1and11.1.1,andbyBylaw10.1onethicalconduct.Indeed,NCAABylaw10.1enumeratesanon-exhaustivelistofexamplesofinappropriateconduct.Inaddition,Article2.4oftheNCAAConstitutionrequiresathleticprogramstoadheretofundamentalvaluesofrespect,fairness,civility,honestyandresponsibility.3.Alackofadherencetofundamentalnotionsofindividualintegrity.Aninstitution'sheadcoachshouldpromoteanatmosphereforcomplianceandmonitortheactivitiesofallassistantcoachesandotheradministratorsinvolvedwiththeprogramwhoreportdirectlyorindirectlytothecoach.Further,NCAABylaw19.01.2,consistentwithArticle2.4oftheNCAAConstitution,demandstheemployeesassociatedwithintercollegiateathleticstoserveaspositivemoralmodelsforstudentsinorder"forintercollegiateathleticstopromotethecharacterdevelopmentofparticipants,toenhancetheintegrityofhighereducationandtopromotecivilityinsociety."
2
 
TheentiretyofthefactualfindingsintheFreehReportsupportstheseconclusions.AdetailedrecitationoftheFreehReportisnotnecessary,buttheseconclusionsrelyonthefollowingkeyfactualfindingswithrespecttotheUniversity'soversightofitsfootballprogram:•[University]PresidentGrahamB.Spanier,SeniorVicePresident-FinanceandBusinessGaryC.Shultz,AthleticDirectorTimothy
M.
CurleyandHeadFootballCoachJosephV.Paterno[]failedtoprotectagainstachildsexualpredatorharmingchildrenforoveradecade.ThesemenconcealedSandusky'SactivitiesfromtheBoardofTrustees,theUniversitycommunityandauthorities....•Theseindividuals,uncheckedbytheBoardofTrusteesthatdidnotperformitsoversightduties,empoweredSanduskytoattractpotentialvictimstothecampusandfootballeventsbyallowinghimtohavecontinued,unrestrictedandunsupervisedaccesstotheUniversity'sfacilitiesandaffiliationwiththeUniversity'sprominentfootballprogram.Indeed,thatcontinuedaccessprovidedSanduskywiththeverycurrencythatenabledhimtoattracthisvictims.Somecoaches,administratorsandfootballprogramstaffmembersignoredtheredflagsofSandusky'sbehaviorsandnoonewarnedthepublicabouthim.•BynotpromptlyandfullyadvisingtheBoardofTrusteesaboutthe1998and2001childsexualabuseallegationsagainstSanduskyandthesubsequentGrandJuryinvestigationofhim,SpanierfailedinhisdutiesasPresident.TheBoardalsofailedinitsdutiestooverseethePresidentandseniorUniversityofficialsin1998and2001bynotinquiringaboutimportantUniversitymattersandbynotcreatinganenvironmentwhereseniorUniversityofficialsfeltaccountable.
3
FSSrecognizedthatSpanier,Schultz,PaternoandCurleyprovidedvariousexplanationsfortheirdeficientconduct,butFSSfoundthatitwas•morereasonabletoconcludethat,inordertoavoidtheconsequencesofbadpublicity,themostpowerfulleadersattheUniversity-Spanier,Schultz,PaternoandCurley-repeatedlyconcealedcriticalfactsrelatingtoSandusky'Schildabusefromtheauthorities,theUniversity'sBoardofTrustees,thePennStatecommunityandthepublicatlarge."AlthoughFSSconcludedthatavoidingtheconsequencesofbadpublicitywasthemostsignificantcausefortheUniversity'sfailuretoprotectchildvictimsandreporttoauthorities,FSSfurtherconcludeditwasnottheonlycause.FSSalsonoted,amongothercauses,that
3
Id.
at14-15.
Id.
at15-16.
3
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