Ex-Penn State president Graham Spanier suing school, Freeh
Former Penn State president Graham Spanier has filed lawsuits against the university for breach of contract and former FBI chief Louis J. Freeh for defamation and tortious interference, ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. reports.
Spanier, 66, was removed as president in 2011 amid the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
Freeh led the official investigation of the school and was critical of high-ranking university officials, including Spanier and football coach Joe Paterno. Spanier was charged in 2012 in connection to the Sandusky case. He first announced that he was going to sue Freeh in July 2013, but did not file it until Wednesday.
Spanier’s lawyer said Freeh’s report was “one-sided” and damaged Spanier’s reputation.
“By all accounts, Dr. Spanier was one of the most honored and decorated university presidents with a sterling reputation before Freeh and Penn State published these false conclusions,” said Libby Locke, a lawyer for Spanier and a partner at Clare Locke in Alexandria, Virginia. “Dr. Spanier knows that he is innocent. And once an impartial jury has the opportunity to weigh the full body of evidence -- not just Freeh's one-sided presentation of it -- Dr. Spanier is confident that the public will know it, too.”
The entire lawsuit can be viewed here.
- Paul Palladino
