Penn State Payouts in Jerry Sandusky Child Sex Cases Climb to $93 Million

Six more sexual abuse victims of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky settled with the university, elevating the total scandal payout to a stunning $93 million.

In October 2013 the university settled with 26 other victims for just under $60 million million involving Sandusky.

To put the exorbitant $93 million sum in perspective, the payouts could have funded Joe Paterno at his top salary for more than 180 seasons, pay Alabama coach Nick Saban’s annual salary for 13 years, or pay full tuition for more than 5,000 Penn State students.

The 68-year-old right-hand man to the NCAA’s all-time football win leader, Joe Paterno, now serves 30 to 60 years in a state prison in Greene County for his 2012 conviction on 45 child-sex abuse charges.

The Associated Press reported that, according to audit findings, Penn State paid or agreed to pay 32 claims. Moreover, other findings by the the Philadelphia office of CPA firm Deloitte & Touche state that, “Additional claims could be paid in the future but without having knowledge of the number and nature of such claims the university is unable to predict the outcome of these matters.”

Friday a representative for Penn State, Lawrence Lokman, claimed that he could not comment on the settlements for legal reasons but asserted, “Obviously, we continue to be saddened by the pain suffered by all victims of child abuse [and] are committed to helping survivors heal and to educate others about these insidious crimes against children.”