A longtime Penn State trustee says Joe Paterno's acknowledgement that he wished he'd done more about alleged child sexual abuse by a former longtime assistant was a prime factor in the dismissal of the legendary head coach.
Trustee Keith Eckel tells The Times-Tribune of Scranton the coach's statement about allegations against Jerry Sandusky showed Paterno was aware of his stature at Penn State and that it “demanded more.”
Eckel says the decision to oust Paterno and university President Graham Spanier was about doing what was best for Penn State's future.
Eckel also told The Times-Tribune on Thursday he didn't know about earlier allegations against Sandusky until the grand jury report was released two weeks ago.
Prosecutors say Sandusky sexually abused eight boys since the late 1990s with much of the illicit contact happening on Penn State's campus.
PSU Trustee: Paterno's Stature ‘Demanded More'
Trustee says that when Paterno admitted he should have "done more," the board knew he had to go
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