PSU board distances itself from Sandusky comments

Responds to trustee’s remarks about victims

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A day after the conviction of former Penn State University President Graham Spanier on a child endangerment charge in the Jerry Sandusky scandal, a university trustee said he was “running out of sympathy” for the case's “so-called victims,” The Chronicle of Higher Education reported Thursday.

The Chronicle said the trustee, Albert Lord, a Penn State alum and former chief executive of the student lender Sallie Mae, made the comment in an email sent to the publication on Saturday, the day after the Spanier verdict was returned. It described him as venting.

Here is how The Chronicle reported Mr. Lord's comment:

“Running out of sympathy for 35 yr old, so-called victims with 7 digit net worth,” Mr. Lord said. “Do not understand why they were so prominent in trial.

“As you learned, Graham Spanier never knew Sandusky abused anyone.”

An email to Mr. Lord from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was not immediately returned

Trustees chairman Ira M. Lubert said Mr. Lord’s comment is not reflective of the board or Penn State.

“Al Lord’s comments are personal and do not represent the opinions of the board or the university,” his statement read. “The sentiments of board and university leadership were expressed in the very first line of the statement released by Penn State: First and foremost, our thoughts remain with the victims of Jerry Sandusky.”

Penn State has paid about $93 million in settlements to 30-plus Sandusky victims.

Mr. Spanier’s weeklong trial and conviction on the misdemeanor charge followed more than five years of acrimony that erupted after Sandusky, the former assistant football coach at Penn State, was charged in November 2011 with sexual assaults on boys, some on the University Park campus. He is now in prison.

Mr. Lord was elected to the board of trustees in July 2014. He graduated from the university with an accounting degree in 1967.

Paul Clifford, chief executive officer of the Penn State Alumni Association, declined comment Thursday on Mr. Lord’s reported email remarks.

Mr. Lord’s term as an alumnielected trustee runs though June 30.

He is a candidate for re-election, according to the association.