Paterno family upset over book on Sandusky scandal
April 18, 2012 10:30 pm
By Taryn Luna / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Paterno family isn't happy about assertions made in a new book on the Sandusky child sex scandal.
The family's lawyer issued a statement today calling "Game Over: Jerry Sandusky, Penn State and the Culture of Silence," by Bob Dvorchak and Bill Moushey, an "unprofessional and irresponsible rehash from clip files and anonymous interviews."
Wick Sollers, lawyer for the family of the late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, said the book contradicts Paterno's sworn testimony and "indisputable evidence" showing that the longtime coach was not informed about a 1998 allegation against Mr. Sandusky, a former assistant football coach.
Assertions that Paterno pushed for Mr. Sandusky's retirement in 1999 because of knowledge of his conduct are also unsupported by evidence, Mr. Sollers said.
"The price of their obsession with speed over accuracy is a book that distorts the truth and offers conclusions and theories for which the authors have no evidence," he said.
Reached Wednesday evening, Mr. Dvorchak said: "We stand by our story. We encourage people to read the book and make up their own minds."
The authors are both former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sports writers.
Danielle Bartlett, the book's publicist at William Morrow/HarperCollins, declined to comment.
The book was written over the course of 10 weeks and has been described by the authors as "the most demanding writing assignment we've ever tackled."
A grand jury investigation of Mr. Sandusky, 68, led to his Nov. 5 arrest. He faces a June 5 trial on charges he sexually assaulted 10 boys over a 15-year period, a number of them on Penn State's main campus.
April 18, 2012 10:30 pm
By Taryn Luna / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Paterno family isn't happy about assertions made in a new book on the Sandusky child sex scandal.
The family's lawyer issued a statement today calling "Game Over: Jerry Sandusky, Penn State and the Culture of Silence," by Bob Dvorchak and Bill Moushey, an "unprofessional and irresponsible rehash from clip files and anonymous interviews."
Wick Sollers, lawyer for the family of the late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, said the book contradicts Paterno's sworn testimony and "indisputable evidence" showing that the longtime coach was not informed about a 1998 allegation against Mr. Sandusky, a former assistant football coach.
Assertions that Paterno pushed for Mr. Sandusky's retirement in 1999 because of knowledge of his conduct are also unsupported by evidence, Mr. Sollers said.
"The price of their obsession with speed over accuracy is a book that distorts the truth and offers conclusions and theories for which the authors have no evidence," he said.
Reached Wednesday evening, Mr. Dvorchak said: "We stand by our story. We encourage people to read the book and make up their own minds."
The authors are both former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sports writers.
Danielle Bartlett, the book's publicist at William Morrow/HarperCollins, declined to comment.
The book was written over the course of 10 weeks and has been described by the authors as "the most demanding writing assignment we've ever tackled."
A grand jury investigation of Mr. Sandusky, 68, led to his Nov. 5 arrest. He faces a June 5 trial on charges he sexually assaulted 10 boys over a 15-year period, a number of them on Penn State's main campus.