What Schultz Knew of All the Officials Questioned in the Sandusky Child Sex Abuse Scandal, Only One Admitted to Knowing of Two Alleged Incidents — Gary Schultz
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10 DECEMBER 20, 2011 Joe Hermitt, The Patriot-News Former Penn State Vice President Gary Schultz enters the Dauphin County Courthouse on Friday for his preliminary hearing on charges related to the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case. What Schultz knew Of all the officials questioned in the Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, only one admitted to knowing of two alleged incidents — Gary Schultz BY SARA GANIM l The Patriot-News t was fairly clear to those listen- against Sandusky. ing to testimony on Friday in And that was Schultz. Dauphin County court that many One of the little-mentioned wit- people knew about child sex nesses during the preliminary hearing abuse allegations against Jerry was Tom Harmon, the former Penn ISandusky in 2002. State University police chief, whose Mike McQueary. His father, John sole purpose on the stand was to link McQueary. State College doctor Jona- Schultz to the 1998 case and explain than Dranov. that his department was kept in the Penn State’s revered football coach dark about the similar 2002 allegation. Joe Paterno. Athletic Director Tim It’s becoming obvious that Schultz Curley. Vice President Gary Schultz. is now a focus of the public argument President Graham Spanier. Jack about moral responsibility to do more Raykovitz, the former CEO of San- — the same that led to the ousters of dusky’s charity, The Second Mile. Paterno and Spanier. But during the hearing on perjury In the court of law, the felony per- and failure-to-report charges against jury charge is a much bigger deal — it Curley and Schultz, it also became carries a seven-year sentence. very clear that just one of those fig- But in the court of public opinion, ures knew this wasn’t the first time the summary failure to report — that someone made accusations which has the same consequences as PULITZER PRIZE ENTRY: LOCAL REPORTING JERRY SANDUSKY AND PENN STATE | PAGE 47 WHAT SCHULTZ KNEW DECEMBER 20, 2011 a traffic ticket — has been much more of a focus. Schultz, the only official to admit to knowing about two alleged incidents instead of one, is emerging as a key fig- ure of blame in the prosecution’s case. What Schultz knew, said Harmon, now retired and living in Pittsburgh, took the stand as the second witness Friday and testified that he remembers four phone calls with Schultz in 1998 about allegations that Sandusky hugged a boy during a shower in the Penn State football locker room. During the last conversation, Har- mon said, he told Schultz that former District Attorney Ray Gricar reviewed the facts and determined no charges would be filed. Harmon also said Schultz, who was his boss, never told him about what was reported in 2002, but if he would have known, “We would have inves- tigated and notified the DA,” he testi- fied. By contrast, only a small portion of the testimony was about the perjury case against his co-defendant, Curley. McQueary testified that Curley police department, knew about a and Schultz sat down with him and weeks-long investigation four years listened to him recount what he had prior, involving Sandusky, a boy and seen in the shower that night — San- the same locker room as the one dusky standing with his front pressed where McQueary told him he wit- up against the back of a boy about nessed a sexual assault. 10 years old. It’s McQueary’s word Only Schultz told the grand jury that against theirs about the extent of the state Children and Youth Services was detail. involved in the 2002 case, when there A Dauphin County district judge is no record that the agency was ever ruled Friday after the daylong hearing told. that the state has enough evidence to Only Schultz told grand jurors that go to trial against Curley and Schultz. he believed Sandusky had grabbed The hearing testimony seemed the boy’s genitals during some kind of lopsided, weighed heavily against horseplay. Schultz. McQueary testified that by talking Only Schultz sat down with John to Schultz, he believed he had noti- McQueary and Dranov weeks after the fied police of what he’d seen in 2002, 2002 incident was reported by gradu- because Schultz was in charge of cam- ate assistant Mike McQueary, now an pus police. assistant coach, and was told for a sec- ond time that something very sexual Why no follow-ups? happened, according to testimony. After deciding that Sandusky should Only Schultz, head of the campus be banned from bringing kids to cam- PULITZER PRIZE ENTRY: LOCAL REPORTING JERRY SANDUSKY AND PENN STATE | PAGE 48 WHAT SCHULTZ KNEW DECEMBER 20, 2011 pus following the 2002 report by Mc- for a minute that Tim Curley, Joe Queary, Curley is the one who made Paterno and Gary Schultz and Spa- the call to The Second Mile, telling nier, the university president, were Raykovitz that there had been an in- told by Mike McQueary that he, Jerry ternal investigation into Sandusky. Sandusky, was having anal sex with Raykovitz apparently did not tell the a 10-year-old looking kid in a shower charity’s board, and former members room on Penn State property and their became the latest to publicly defend response was simply to tell Sandusky themselves Monday. ‘don’t go in the shower anymore with Police detective Ronald Schreffler kids,’ I suggest you dial 1-800-REAL- and Pennsylvania Children and Youth ITY.” Services investigator Jerry Lauro, both involved in the 1998 case, have blamed Schultz’s attorney: It makes no sense Gricar for not pursuing that case. A similar argument was made by No one can ask Gricar why the case Schultz’s attorney, Tom Farrell, at the wasn’t prosecuted, because he has preliminary hearing. been missing for seven years and has It makes no sense, he argued, that been legally declared dead. McQueary, his father, Paterno, Schultz Schreffler listened in as Sandusky and Curley would all decide not to gave a seeming confession to the call police if something so heinous mother of a boy who was allegedly was really described back in 2002. touched by Sandusky during a show- And, through questioning of Har- er in 1998, according to a grand jury mon, he showed that Schultz did noth- report. Schreffler said Monday he ing to shape the 1998 investigation. would never question Gricar’s judg- “He never gave you instructions as ment. to how to enforce the law?” Farrell However, Schreffler would not asked Harmon. discuss why he didn’t revisit the case “He did not.” after Gricar left office. “Did he ever interfere with you en- McQueary, when testifying Friday, forcing the law?” was asked a similar question about “He did not.” the 2002 incident he reported. He continued. He said, absolutely, he believed he “And he let the investigation run its observed a crime. course?” So, why didn’t he follow up? His “Yes.” answer was that he quietly disagreed “The investigation was closed be- with Penn State’s decision. cause it was determined that no crime The inaction is sure to be a big part had occurred?” of Sandusky’s defense. “Correct.” Sandusky is facing more than 50 Curley was never told about the 1998 charges of child sex abuse involving investigation, Harmon testified. So 10 victims. He waived a preliminary far, there’s no indication Spanier knew hearing last week and faces trial in about it, either. Centre County Court. He has main- Scott Paterno, the son of the legend- tained his innocence and plans to ary former coach, has said he’s been fight the charges. assured by university counsel that his While McQueary’s graphic testimo- father knew nothing about the 1998 ny about seeing a boy being assaulted report. in a shower late at night in March Earlier, on the stand, Harmon said 2002 was compelling, Sandusky’s at- he talked to Schultz once a week or so. torney, Joe Amendola, has pointed out “Did Schultz ever talk to you about that his reaction doesn’t match the this incident?” prosecutor Bruce description of what he saw. Beemer asked. “If anyone is naive enough to think “He did not,” Harmon said. PULITZER PRIZE ENTRY: LOCAL REPORTING JERRY SANDUSKY AND PENN STATE | PAGE 49.