For all the talk of privately, expeditiously and fairly” compensating the boys sexually assaulted by former Peen Sate assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, lawyers for the victims say they have had limited contact with the school about a definitive plan for a settlement.
The attorneys told the Associated Press more lawsuits may follow the four now under way if the school’s silence persists.
“I believe there has been a window of opportunity, which is closing, despite enormous patience by the lawyers who represent the victims,” said Philadelphia attorney Tom Kline, who represents a young man who testified during Sandusky’s criminal trial he was fondled in a school shower in 2001.
Kline and the other lawyers told the AP that they will not wait indefinitely for the university to propose a settlement process stemming from Sandusky’s conviction in June on 45 counts of sexual abuse of 10 boys. The former assistant football coach awaits sentencing and will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Since Sandusky was charged more than 10 months ago, eight legal teams that together represent at least 20 people have surfaced. Already dealing with a $60 million NCAA fine and a tarnished reputation, the school faces potential civil claims that could lead to payouts of millions, even tens of millions, of dollars.
Penn State spokesman Dave La Torre said the school has had “multiple conversations” with victims’ lawyers, but offered no specifics, either about the process, how much money might be made available or eligibility standards. He calls it the beginning of a complex process.
At a meeting of the university’s board in State College on Thursday, trustee Mark Dambly said he was aware of “conversations” between the university and the victims’ lawyers.
“We pledged to take the high road and do the right thing, and I’m sure we’re going to do that,” he said. “It’s a very complicated situation and will take some time to sort itself out.”
In one sign of action behind the scenes, the university has consulted with lawyer Ken Feinberg, who ran victim compensation funds for victims of Agent Orange, the Sept. 11 attacks, the Virginia Tech massacre and the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Still, some lawyers say they have heard little or nothing from the university since school president Rodney Erickson announced the night of the Sandusky verdict that the university planned to contact them, in the near future, and invite them to participate in a program “to facilitate the resolution of claims against the university” by providing “a forum where the university can privately, expeditiously and fairly address the victims’ concerns and compensate them for claims relating to the university.”
How that would work remains unclear.
“The plaintiffs are not in a position to resolve the cases — that’s Penn State’s job,” said Philadelphia lawyer Matt Casey, whose team represents four Sandusky victims; Sandusky’s son Matt Sandusky; and an unspecified number of other accusers.
“Frankly, we’ve heard a lot of discussion, but no specific action,” Casey said. “Accordingly, in that posture, the only choice is to proceed with aggressively litigating.”