Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Joe Paterno’s family and supporters are defending the late coach against a leak of apparently damaging material released during highly secretive investigations into former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
Details from a decade-old email have raised new questions about whether the Hall of Fame coach tried to cover up a sex abuse complaint against Sandusky.
With Paterno no longer able to come to his own defense, his family has fought back, with their lawyer accusing "someone in a position of authority" of trying to smear the late coach.
But family spokesman Dan McGinn said Tuesday he wasn’t worried about the various investigations’ impact on Paterno’s legacy. McGinn said Paterno never directed him to protect his legacy or clear his name during their discussions that followed Sandusky’s arrest in November.
"Joe Paterno had confidence in the way he lived," McGinn said. "He believed his life record would speak for itself."
Paterno died from lung cancer at age 85 in January, two months after the Penn State trustees fired him, citing a lack of leadership in response to a 2001 report by graduate assistant Mike McQueary about Sandusky showering with a boy in a football team locker room.
Paterno issued a statement in December that said he reported the McQueary complaint to athletic director Tim Curley, and "that was the last time the matter was brought
But CNN has reported that an email from Curley indicated he changed his mind about going to child welfare authorities after speaking with Paterno, which suggests the longtime coach took a more active role in the decision than what he described.
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