Sue Paterno: ‘Four Years of Secrecy Are Enough’

On the fourth anniversary of the scandal that rocked Penn State and the State College community to its core, Sue Paterno published a letter addressed to the Penn State lettermen.

Posted on the Paterno family website, the letter calls out the administration, NCAA, and Louis Freeh for a lack of transparency in the wake of the scandal.

Paterno wrote that \”Penn State\’s culture is a treasure … worth fighting for,\” adding that the Paterno family hasn\’t given up on its battle to set the record straight and uncover the truth. 

\”The victims, their families, each of you and everyone who cares about Penn State deserve the truth,\” the letter said.

Here\’s what Paterno said in full: 

Dear Lettermen,

November 9 is the fourth anniversary of Joe\’s firing by the Board of Trustees and their wholesale indictment of the football program and the Penn State culture. Joe and I knew they had acted rashly, but we were hopeful that, with the benefit of time, they would correct their mistakes and set the record straight.

While much progress has been made in the last four years, the Administration, the NCAA and Louis Freeh have yet to acknowledge fully the extent of their errors. Worse yet, they are still waging an all-out campaign to keep the facts from ever seeing the light of day.

I write to you now to let you know that we have not given up on setting the record straight – and we never will. Four years of secrecy are enough. The victims, their families, each of you and everyone who cares about Penn State deserve the truth.

The sad history of this case is that the Board of Trustees took a terrible tragedy and made it worse. Their complete reliance on the deeply flawed Freeh report and their total capitulation to the NCAA were terrible mistakes that needlessly and recklessly tarnished the reputation of this great university.

Our only options are to give in and accept the allegation that Penn State was consumed with a corrupt culture, or fight for the truth. You and I know what Joe would have expected us to do. Penn State\’s culture is a treasure. It is worth fighting for. And the truth is not to be feared, but embraced.

Because these issues are currently being litigated, I am not able to comment on specific aspects of the case. What I can tell you is we respect the courts, and we welcome a chance to have the facts finally reviewed in a setting that honors transparency and due process.

Finally, I want you to know how proud I am of each of you. What you do with your lives is the ultimate testament to the Penn State culture. My life continues to be consumed with children and grandchildren and raising money for the causes Joe and I cared so much about. I also continue to pray for the victims and hope that the lessons of the Sandusky case will open eyes throughout our society.

I cherish my memories with all of you. I love Penn State more every day, which is why I will see this case to its proper resolution. I wish you and your families the best for the holidays.

With love,

 

P.S. Please hold the date…September 17, 2016, marks the 50th anniversary of Joe\’s first game as head coach. We are planning a special event to honor all that you accomplished. I will be back to you with more information about plans for that weekend.