This could get ugly…
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett is asking a federal court to throw out the multi-million dollar sanctions placed against Penn State University by the NCAA in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal.
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Corbett, who calls the sanctions “harsh penalties,” is filing an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA for acting illegally and claiming the punishment was motivated by a desire to gain power for its president and weaken the University.
The 43-page complaint also claims that the NCAA was motivated by a desire to “gain leverage in the court of public opinion.” The lawsuit ultimately seeks to vacate all of the punishment related to the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal, including a $60 million fine and four-year bowl ban.
“This was a criminal matter, not a violation of NCAA rules,” Corbett said. He added that he believed the NCAA acted as it did because it benefited from the sizable penalty.
“These punishments threaten to have a devastating, long-lasting and irreparable effect on the state, its citizens and its economy,” the governor said. “I cannot and will not stand by and let it happen without a fight.”
The NCAA responded, saying it is disappointed in Corbett’s lawsuit, calling it “meritless and an affront” to Sandusky’s victims.
“Not only does this forthcoming lawsuit appear to be without merit, it is an affront to all of the victims in this tragedy – lives that were destroyed by the criminal actions of Jerry Sandusky,” NCAA General Counsel Donald Remy said in a statement.
The University recently made the first payment of $12 million of the sanctions toward a national fund to support the victims of child abuse. But the sanctions hurt business and residents; according to the governor’s office, Penn State football was the second most profitable collegiate athletic program in the nation in 2010-11 when it brought in $50 million, generating more than $5 million in tax revenue.
James Schultz, general counsel for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, who will be handling the case for the governor, said the NCAA failed to follow its own by laws in determining the penalties against Penn State.
Schultz said Corbett has the proper legal standing to sue the NCAA because he is acting on behalf of state residents and businesses “collaterally damaged” by the NCAA sanctions.
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Whoa. This is, and please understand there is NO pun intended, a touchy issue for Penn State University, the victims and even the public. There sure are some heated responses from all parties involved.
SOURCE: Reuters
