Penn State Sex Scandal: Jerry Sandusky Getting Paid Despite Abuse Charges

Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky will continue to get his pension from the university despite the sexual molestation charges he’s facing, numerous sources are reporting.


According to the good folks at Deadspin, Sandusky received one lump sum payment of just over $148,000 upon his retirement from Penn State, and has continued to receive nearly $59,000 per year ever since then. Don’t forget, Sandusky’s decision to step down from his post back in 1999 following an eerily similar sex abuse investigation has been the subject of a lot of scrutiny recently.  


Former school vice president for business and finance Gary Schultz received $421,847 upon his retirement two years ago. He, of course, will soon have to stand trial for charges of perjury and failing to report abuse.


Deadspin’s Dom Cosentino also took the time out to contact a spokeswoman for Pennsylvania’s State Employee Retirement System (SERS) and find out if an employee still has claim to their pension if they are facing crimes like the ones these guys are accused of. Apparently, if a person is convicted of, or pleads guilty to a “listed crime committed through the member's public office or position or when public employment puts the member in a position to commit the crime” then they forfeit their pension.


Until that happens, though, the payments will keep rolling in.


Plus, former head coach Joe Paterno and former Penn State president Graham Spanier are both still eligible for their pension benefits.


Translation: Everyone but the victims has, and will continue to get paid handsomely for the foreseeable future.


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