Pennsylvania lame duck Gov. Tom Corbett said Thursday that Penn State head coach Joe Paterno probably should have been suspended and not fired over the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
Just days after being defeated in the governor’s race,
Corbett told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Paterno “technically complied with the law.”
“They probably shouldn't have fired him. They probably should have suspended him," Corbett told the Inquirer exclusively. "He probably should have been given the last three games, not on the sideline."
Corbett was attorney general during the Sandusky investigation, and ESPN said he was a “central figure” in getting Paterno fired.
The governor’s comments put fuel on an already blazing fire regarding how the university and officials handled the sexual abuse case.
"Revelations like this would have been meaningful three years ago, before the patently false narrative about Joe Paterno was cemented in minds across America," Maribeth Roman Schmidt, a member of Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship, told the Inquirer. "We hope Tom Corbett will continue to share his regrets in an effort to restore the fine reputations of both Joe Paterno and Penn State University."
ESPN said Corbett’s words came just after the release of NCAA documents detailing discussions about what type of penalty to levy against the university. The school accepted what ESPN called “unprecedented” sanctions — a four-year postseason ban, reduced scholarships, and a $60 million fine.
The online community was quick to comment on Corbett’s opinion.
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