NCAA names Sandusky fines panel members, including 2 Penn State deans
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Two deans from Penn State University will participate in an NCAA task force created to oversee the distribution of $60 million in fines imposed on the school in the wake of the Sandusky sex scandal.
In all, 10 people have been named to the panel, including Nan Crouter, dean of the College of Health and Human Development, and Craig Hillemeier, vice dean for clinical affairs at Penn State College of Medicine.
"I hope we can put together a sound philosophy, a thoughtful set of guidelines that provide advice for the future," Ms. Crouter said. "That this will become a fund that really makes a difference in children's lives."
The NCAA announced the task force members Tuesday and said the group will be responsible for distributing the money placed in the endowment by Penn State as part of the sanctions it accepted in July.
The endowment will fund programs to prevent child sexual abuse or assist victims nationwide. Officials at Penn State and the NCAA said that at least 25 percent of the annual disbursements will benefit Pennsylvania nonprofits.
The task force will develop a philosophy establishing how the money will be used, including what programs are eligible, as well as creating grant criteria and investment and spending policies.
It also will choose an independent third party to administer and manage the endowment.
The fine is to be collected in annual payments of $12 million over five years.
According to the NCAA, the money may not be used to fund any programs at Penn State, and the university may not reduce or eliminate any athletics team program to pay the fine.
The Penn State community has gone through a difficult time in the months since the November arrest of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. He was accused of molesting 10 young boys over a 15-year period, in some cases, on campus.
Mr. Sandusky was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts against him and will be sentenced in Centre County on Oct. 9. In the meantime, two longtime administrators at the school are facing charges of perjury and failure to reported alleged child abuse and are scheduled for trial January in Harrisburg.
"It's obviously been a tough time for this university, and I remain extraordinarily committed to seeing us push through this," Ms. Crouter said. "I hope there will be some positive outcomes on the other side, and this fund could be one."
State Rep. Frank Dermody, D-Oakmont, has argued that the NCAA should require that all of the money be spent in Pennsylvania.
"This endowment, created in the wake of a Pennsylvania tragedy, is funded by Pennsylvania money," he said. "There is no question that every single dollar from that endowment should be used to fund Pennsylvania-based child sexual abuse programs."
The NCAA declined to respond in the news media to Mr. Dermody's request.
The other members of the task force include:
• Rita Hartung Cheng, chancellor of Southern Illinois University
• Brian Gallagher, president and chief executive officer of United Way Worldwide
• Jane Lowe, team director of Vulnerable Populations Portfolio, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Harris Pastides, president, University of South Carolina
• Bryan Samuels, commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Pamela Shifman, director, Initiatives for Girls and Women, NoVo Foundation
• Raymond Torres, vice president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and executive director of Casey Family Services
• Tim White, chancellor of University of California, Riverside, who will serve as chairman of the task force
First Published September 19, 2012 12:00 am
