Court orders Jerry Sandusky’s Penn State pension be reinstated
A Pennsylvania court ordered Friday that the state must restore the pension of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, who was convicted on multiple counts of sexually abusing children in 2012, the Associated Press reports.
The pension was forfeited in Oct. 2012 when Sandusky was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.
The Commonwealth Court panel ruled unanimously in favor of Sandusky. The court concluded that the State Employees’ Retirement Board wrongfully deduced that Sandusky was an employee at Penn State when the crimes took place.
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“Because we find that nothing in the record in any way establishes that Mr. Sandusky was a PSU employee when the underlying criminal acts were committed, we reverse the Board’s decision,” the ruling states.
The court also ruled that the pension, which is worth, $4,900 per month, must be paid back with interest. Sandusky received a lump sum payment of $148,000 when he retired in 1999 and then began receiving the monthly payments.
Sandusky, 71, is serving his time at Green State Prison and is pursuing an appeal of his conviction.
- Xandria James
