The Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal is horrible if true. There are a multitude of criminal charges that involve the former coach as well as senior officials at Penn State University.
Given the potential number of victims, the number of people at the university who allegedly failed to do their jobs, the criminal case could be complex and take months to fully resolve. However, the Penn State civil liability could be less complex. Ultimately, it may be a case about premises liability.
Since 2002 at the latest, higher ups at the university are alleged to have known about the sex abuse that was being committed at campus facilities by Jerry Sandusky, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.
To make a long story short, a member of the team's staff witnessed a rape of a boy by Sandusky at the team's facilities. The witness reported it on up to Joe Paterno and other senior officials, and yet no one ever called the cops.
Over the course of the next nine years, Sandusky was still allowed onto the campus and apparently used the campus facilities for his charitable foundation to help at-risk youths.
As a university, Penn State owed a duty to visitors and guests on its premises to keep the campus safe. For example, the university would have a duty to warn students of obvious hazards like slippery floors, crumbling buildings, or other hazards. Similarly, one could make a pretty good argument that the university would owe a duty to visiting kids that they were under the tutelage of an alleged sex offender.
Instead, no one at the university did anything after it knew about Sandusky's acts in 2002. For nine years, up until last week, Sandusky was seen at the campus using its facilities oftentimes for his charitable foundation for children. For its carelessness, and stupidity, the Penn State civil liability could be huge.
Related Resources:
- Find a Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorney (FindLaw)
- Jerry Sandusky Rumored to Have Been 'Pimping Out Young Boys to Rich Donors,' Says Mark Madden (NESN)
- Sex Offenders and Sex Offenses: Overview (FindLaw)
- Could Penn State Be Sued for Jerry Sandusky Sex Abuse? (FindLaw's Philadelphia Personal Injury Law Blog)
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