Centre Daily Times Logo

March for Truth protest directs ire at Penn State board of trustees | Centre Daily Times

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Contact Us
    • Plus
    • eEdition
    • Newsletters
    • Subscribe
    • About Us
    • Local
    • Penn State
    • Sandusky Scandal
    • Communities
    • Crime
    • Business
    • Education
    • Politics
    • Public Records
    • State
    • Nation/World
    • Weird News
    • Sports
    • College
    • Golf
    • High School
    • MLB
    • Motorsports
    • NFL
    • NHL
    • Outdoors
    • Penn State
    • State College Spikes
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • PSU Sports
    • PSU Football
    • PSU Basketball
    • PSU Baseball
    • PSU Hockey
    • PSU Soccer
    • PSU Volleyball
    • PSU Wrestling
    • Nittany Lines Blog
  • Penn State Football
    • Living
    • Announcements
    • Family Pages
    • Eat, Play, Live
    • Home & Garden
    • Entertainment
    • Weekender
    • Comics
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Celebrities
    • Horoscopes
    • Movie News & Reviews
    • Music
    • TV
    • Opinion
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Submit a Letter
  • Obituaries

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

News

March for Truth protest directs ire at Penn State board of trustees

By Matt Carroll - mcarroll@centredaily.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

September 20, 2013 11:16 PM

A speaker addressing a group of protesters outside The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on Friday wondered if the board of trustees gathered inside could hear the chants for reform.

If the trustees couldn’t, some certainly got an earful when leaving their meeting Friday afternoon.

Penn State officials were showered with choruses of jeers from the crowd gathered for a “March for Truth” protest.

The event, which featured speakers Franco Harris and former lieutenant governor and longtime state Sen. Bob Jubelirer, was aimed at sending a stern message to the board; that the Penn State community does not believe they have heard the truth about the failures of the Jerry Sandusky scandal and will not move forward.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Centre Daily Times

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Harris said before the rally that he is still searching for answers about why the board members handled the aftermath of the scandal as they did, and renewed his call for all members who were on the panel at the time to step down.

“There is nothing they can really do,” Harris said. “These are the people who caused all the destruction. There is nothing they can do but leave.”

The rally drew a crowd of mostly alums, many armed with signs and T-shirts supporting Joe Paterno and denouncing the trustees.

Some, headed to Penn State’s football game, left the hotel parking lot in the RVs they will tailgate in Saturday. One man, a 1980 graduate, said he drove from Delaware just to attend the rally and was driving back after.

Many said they were upset by the way Paterno was treated by the university. Harris, to cheers from the crowd, accused the board of trying to bury Paterno’s legacy.

"In last two years, even I learned so much about Joe (Paterno),” Harris said. “He loved Penn State.”

Trustee Ted Brown, addressing the crowd after the trustees meeting concluded, said he believes the board will ultimately honor Paterno’s legacy, but “not yet.”

“I can’t tell you when the statue is coming back,” Brown said. “But I can tell you we will honor him.”

Brown did not elaborate further when asked additional questions.

Jubelirer also spoke, urging the board to be more transparent and to follow the state’s sunshine law.

Jubelirer attacked the trustees for what he and others called the intimidation of a student.

They were referring to Peter Khoury, a student trustee who withdrew as a plaintiff in the Paterno family’s lawsuit against the NCAA, saying he was threatened with being removed from the group that’s searching for the next university president if he didn’t.

“Everybody has the right to speak,” Jubelirer said. “The student had his First Amendment rights taken away from him.”

Later in the event, several student leaders ended up pitted against a couple of protesters. The students approached Harris after the meeting to explain why they don’t think demonstrations are helpful.

The students said the actions made the student population look bad, and Harris said his group is just after the truth about the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

“We’re afraid these sort of actions will reflect negatively on the students,” said Katelyn Mullen, the president of the University Park Undergraduate Association.

One marcher asked the student leaders if they were “coerced” by the board to come outside. Mullen defended her group members and said it was their decision and no one else’s.

“We don’t want to be associated with these actions because we’re the ones held responsible,” said Mullen, who suggested the marchers take their message to the board members.

The marchers didn’t believe the student leaders were representing the consensus of the student body, but Mullen insisted that students are tired of the continued debate.

Eileen Morgan, one of the protest organizers, disagreed.

“What the Penn State board has done to this school is reflecting negatively on all of us,” Morgan said. “It’s not you, so stop making you to be the focus.”

  Comments  

Videos

Young volunteer has ‘found a passion’ for firefighting

Fundraising is large part of being a firefighter

View More Video

Trending Stories

Here’s why Penn State wrestler Shakur Rasheed will ‘unfortunately’ be honored on Senior Day

February 19, 2019 05:44 PM

‘Ready and willing’: Why Penn State is confident it can replace OL Bates, McGovern

February 18, 2019 04:48 PM

Centre County to be hit with another ‘wintry mix.’ Here’s what it could mean for your commute

February 19, 2019 12:26 PM

Penn State wrestling mailbag: Can Iowa or Ohio State test the Nittany Lions at Big Tens?

February 18, 2019 05:08 PM

They love the job and their ‘firehouse family.’ What makes volunteer firefighters stay?

February 19, 2019 09:06 AM

things to do

Read Next

Police dismiss tip Smollett, 2 brothers together in elevator

Celebrities

Police dismiss tip Smollett, 2 brothers together in elevator

By DON BABWIN Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 20, 2019 02:07 AM

Chicago police have investigated but dismissed a tip that on the night "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett reported being attacked by two masked men he was in an elevator of his apartment building with two brothers questioned in the probe.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Centre Daily Times

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE NEWS

Trump wants California to pay back billions for bullet train

Business

Trump wants California to pay back billions for bullet train

February 20, 2019 12:18 AM

Lottery

Winning numbers drawn in ‘Mega Millions’ game

February 20, 2019 02:23 AM

Lottery

PA Lottery

February 20, 2019 02:23 AM
Northern Red Sea coral reefs may survive a hot, grim future

Nation & World

Northern Red Sea coral reefs may survive a hot, grim future

February 20, 2019 02:12 AM
Saudi crown prince lauds centuries-old ties with India

Business

Saudi crown prince lauds centuries-old ties with India

February 20, 2019 02:08 AM

Sports

Police union slams mayor’s criticism of lieutenant

February 20, 2019 01:55 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Centre Daily Times App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story