| − | In 2011, the school was the focus of national attention because of a child abuse scandal involving an undetermined number of children and a former football coach. Jerry Sandusky, who retired from Penn State as coach in 1999 after a previous investigation into alleged sexual abuse of a child, was arrested on November 5, 2011 on 40 counts of sexual abuse. He allegedly molested eight young boys over at least a fifteen-year span. Several of the incidents supposedly occurred in university facilities. Following his conviction, additional alleged victims have come forward alleging abuse dating back to 1970s and 1980s, including his adopted son.<ref>{{cite web|title=Report: Accusers say abuse pre-'90s|url=http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8170790/penn-state-nittany-lions-new-jerry-sandusky-accusers-say-abuse-dates-1970s-report-says|date=July 16, 2012|work=ESPN|accessdate=July 23, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/26/us-usa-crime-sandusky-idUSBRE85O0P120120626|title=Sandusky's adopted son told Pennsylvania police of abuse: report|date=June 26, 2012|accessdate=July 23, 2012|work=Reuters}}</ref> | + | In 2011, the school was the focus of national attention because of a child abuse scandal involving an undetermined number of children and a former football coach. Jerry Sandusky, who retired from Penn State as coach in 1999 after a previous investigation into alleged sexual abuse of a child, was arrested on November 5, 2011 on 40 counts of sexual abuse. He allegedly molested eight young boys over at least a fifteen-year span. Several of the incidents supposedly occurred in university facilities. Following his conviction, additional alleged victims have come forward alleging abuse dating back to 1970s and 1980s, including his adopted son.<ref>{{cite web|title=Report: Accusers say abuse pre-'90s|url=http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8170790/penn-state-nittany-lions-new-jerry-sandusky-accusers-say-abuse-dates-1970s-report-says|date=July 16, 2012|work=ESPN|accessdate=July 23, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/26/us-usa-crime-sandusky-idUSBRE85O0P120120626|title=Sandusky's adopted son told Pennsylvania police of abuse: report|date=June 26, 2012|accessdate=July 23, 2012|work=Reuters}}</ref> |
| | In 2002, Mike McQueary, who was then a graduate assistant and is now an assistant coach at the school, reported to [[Joe Paterno]], the head coach of the football program, that he had seen Sandusky raping a 10-year-old boy in a Penn State locker room. Paterno reported the incident to university officials, but the assault was never reported to the authorities. | | In 2002, Mike McQueary, who was then a graduate assistant and is now an assistant coach at the school, reported to [[Joe Paterno]], the head coach of the football program, that he had seen Sandusky raping a 10-year-old boy in a Penn State locker room. Paterno reported the incident to university officials, but the assault was never reported to the authorities. |