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Lis Wiehl and Fred Tecce discuss how emails between university officials about the scandal
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Welcome back to on the Honda -- -- dot com live time for our legal panel now the first to show I wanna get into.
-- new questions.
Over who knew Walt and when.
In regards to the Penn State sexual abuse scandal -- -- Jerry sandusky the former assistant coach of the football program that.
Has been found guilty on charges of abusing -- -- -- an otherwise molesting.
Young boys over a period of something like ten years well now it appears that from some emails that university officials.
May have swept the scandal under the rug when they -- first informed.
Allegations against Jerry sandusky take a look at these emails the first is from the president of the vice president of business administration Gary.
-- -- -- From Garrett shows know that athletic director Tim Curley two university president Graham -- yeah.
Often giving it more thought and talking it over with the -- head football coach Joseph Paterno yesterday.
I -- comfortable with what we agreed what the next steps.
Then in another email mr.
-- responded by email that not content contacting authorities is quote.
A more humane a way to handle this incident.
Then missed this but he had spent via agreed in an email to mr.
-- and mr.
Schultz.
Adding that the only downside for us is if the message to mr.
send us -- isn't heard and acted upon.
We then become more vulnerable for not having reported it that's this is all.
According to person close in the investigation so let's bring in all legal panel would mean the studio here.
-- -- Fox News legal analyst of course and joining us from not Philly is former federal prosecutor.
Fred TC Fred good to see it.
Hey Jonathan thank you very much for having me thanks for being here at least to you first what are these emails mean for the full what I guess will be civil cases -- -- -- here.
Liability because if they knew or should have known and here is to know that they didn't know what was going on at the very highest level and made a conscious decision to not report.
And to me that is.
Starting you know four or that they the defendants here repeatedly that target -- to be dependent.
Because if you take on an obligation like that -- not just.
You know the milk this hour something like that at a cafeteria but something so serious and you recollect not reported.
That is really good to be a smoking gun to the -- -- Is this obviously there's -- a huge financial risk -- Penn State here the next football program until could be NCAA do you know -- man.
That program which would be a huge step obviously but they may feel some pressure to I would think in the wake of this sort of email exchange.
-- You know I kind of heard rumors of the NCAA was looking into the Penn State program and and and considering that everything under advisement as to whether or not they're gonna actually -- and I'm not sure.
That that would be fair I have another word -- begins with.
Put their own interest before the interest of the children you remember something -- was ahead of the Penn state police department which has under in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania has the same.
Right duties and obligations as a town police department he was aware of the 1998 allegations and they did this in the email talks about GO.
Doesn't actually say Paterno but.
-- I think is reasonably certain in the best Paterno and you know Paterno family issued a statement yesterday saying release the rest of the emails what I thought was almost.
Rises almost to look to an admission of guilt so I.
Did your question I think one I think it would be unfair to the best of football program.
-- it's gonna go from being called happy value -- value because the the civil judgments.
And the civil liability as a result of this thought this could be -- yet is it this is it is when you read these emails for at least is this an open and shut case now or is there any defensively.
Everything over the -- case and the prosecution -- that plaintiffs' case but.
These emails are exhibits a -- for the plaintiffs here because it shows knowledge that they can't just now saying oh we didn't know about it.
It really should have known about it but we didn't know about.
That shows that they haven't made a conscious decision.
Not to turn this over and you've got to remember -- Jonathan and a lot of stable Allstate there's certain obligations that doctors.
Teachers.
People that have.
Association with children.
Have to report if they know -- they have a suspicion that -- -- being molested they must turn out over they didn't do that here now it's unclear whether or not.
It for the college would really fall under that obligation but still the fact that they didn't do it the plaintiffs are gonna bring that -- --
