With this riveting memoir, former Penn State President Graham Spanier recounts his experiences surrounding his resignation from the presidency in November 2011 as the Jerry Sandusky scandal unfolded. After Sandusky was indicted on dozens of counts related to child sexual abuse, the attention of the Pennsylvania attorney general and governor turned to accusations of a coverup by Penn State administrators following a 2001 incident that they claimed allowed Sandusky to continue abusing children for years after. Spanier thoroughly recounts developments following his resignation, including the firing of long-time and beloved football coach Joe Paterno, grand jury testimony of Spanier and two high-ranking Penn State administrators, and charges brought against them. Spanier completely refutes the highly-disputed report prepared by former FBI director Louis Freeh, which was influential in leading Penn State to accept extraordinary NCAA sanctions in 2012. Using evidence obtained through freedom of information laws and other sources, Spanier documents how many of those who accused him have since been discredited and makes a convincing case of his innocence. Full disclosure: this reviewer worked at Penn State while Graham Spanier was president. VERDICT This is a compulsively readable memoir about one of the most inflammatory recent scandals in higher education.
This review was previously published in Library Journal 147:8 (2022):107.
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