Penn State faculty group disputes NCAA sanctions

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — A group of past faculty senate chairmen at Penn State is condemning NCAA sanctions levied against the school in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

The 30 current and former faculty members signed the statement that was posted online today.

The group says sanctions were based largely on the independent report done by ex-FBI director Louis Freeh, which concluded that top university officials concealed information about sexual-abuse allegations against Sandusky to avoid bad publicity.

They say the NCAA “used its assertion of collective guilt to justify its collective punishment of the entire university community.” Last month, the NCAA announced sanctions that include a four-year bowl ban and a $60 million fine.

Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant, was convicted in June of abusing 10 boys.