Penn State’s Legal Troubles Have Only Just Begun

With Jerry Sandusky set to be sentenced next month and Penn State fined $60 million by the NCAA, it might seem as though the embattled university can put the worst of this scandal behind it and start to rebuild. In fact, a new and potentially even more punitive phase is gearing up: the civil lawsuits by Sandusky’s victims. Three have already been filed—including “Victim One,” who testified at the Sandusky trail—and as many as 20 victims may ultimately sue. There is a tendency to dismiss these kind of plaintiffs as opportunists looking for a big check. But we need lawsuits like these to put the heat on institutions that look the other way when bad things are happening. If the suits go to trial, juries will be asked to evaluate how much physical and emotional damage was done to the men (possibly a great deal) and how important it is to punish Penn State for its shocking failure to rein in the predator in its midst. A few hefty damage awards could send a powerful message not just to Penn State, but to other schools, corporations, and nonprofit organizations where abuse may be occurring More