BELLEFONTE — Judge Pamela A. Ruest today dismissed a local man's request last week for an injunction to stop Penn State from removing the Joe Paterno statue.

The request seemed moot after the university removed the statue on Sunday, but Ruest had a short hearing this afternoon for which Eddie Lauth, who filed the request, didn't show. Penn State counsel Janine Gismondi asked for the dismissal.

Lauth said Monday that he donated $25,000 toward the bronze statue and wanted answers from Penn State on what it plans to do with the statue now that it has been taken down. The statue became a lightning rod for criticism after the university's commissioned internal investigation concluded that Paterno and other senior administrators concealed abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky because of fears about bad publicity.