HARRISBURG, Pa. — Seven men, including Jerry Sandusky’s adopted son and a Sandusky victim key to longtime coach Joe Paterno’s firing, have finalized deals with Penn State over claims of abuse by the school’s former assistant football coach, their attorney says.
Settlements were reached by Matt Sandusky, the young man known as Victim 2 in court records and three other victims who testified last summer against Jerry Sandusky at his criminal trial, Philadelphia attorney Matt Casey said Friday.
Matt Sandusky had been expected to be a defense witness until he told investigators that he also had been abused by Jerry Sandusky. He has since petitioned for a legal name change.
Victim 2 has said he was the boy that then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary testified he saw being attacked by Jerry Sandusky in a team shower in 2001. McQueary notified Paterno and school officials at the time, but police were never called, an omission that eventually led to Paterno’s firing.
Sandusky was convicted in June 2010 of 45 counts. He was found guilty of raping or fondling boys he had met through the acclaimed youth charity he founded, The Second Mile.
Casey did not disclose the terms of the settlements but said they took shape some time ago and were completed a week ago.
“To say they’re relieved, I think, is a fair statement,” Casey said. “But it’s also accurate to say that while we’ve closed this chapter, there’s a whole lot of this that’s necessarily inadequate. And that can’t be helped because of how … really unspeakable this experience has been and continues to be for them.”
The university has not announced the deals.
Nearly a week ago, a lawyer disclosed the first settlement among the 31 lawsuits filed against the school. Last week, a lawyer brought in by Penn State to facilitate negotiations said he expected 24 more cases to settle in the near future.
