Penn State Records On Jerry Sandusky Could Lead To New Charges

The independent investigation into what Penn State officials knew about the sex abuse allegations against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky shows they knew more than they claimed to.

According to a report published in the Chronicle of Higher Education, in 2001, top university officials held a three-hour meeting to discuss Sandusky and a report of suspected child abuse. As the Chronicle reports:

A law-firm billing record from that conversation describes a "report of suspected child abuse," according to a person with knowledge of an independent investigation into the matter.

The new information adds to a detailed report by CNN and suggests that several top Penn State administrators, despite their claims otherwise, knew about the sexual nature of the accusation against Mr. Sandusky. Their failure to report it to child-welfare agencies, which is required by Pennsylvania law, could lead to further charges in the case.

New evidence also suggests that Joe Paterno, the head football coach, may have played a role in the university's failure to notify outside authorities. Previously, he said that he had done his job by simply reporting concerns about Sandusky's behavior up the line.

Last month, Sandusky was convicted of abusing 10 boys over a 15-year-period, some of them on the Penn State campus.