Penn State is not opposed to The Second Mile’s petition for dissolution, but the university’s filing from last week pointed to others who might still be at fault.
“The university hereby states that in addition to filing claims for indemnification against The Second Mile and/or its insurers, the university also may file other claims against those entities and/or against officers or members of the board of directors. ... The university reserves all rights with respect to all of the claims it may file against these entities and individuals,” attorney Alexander Bilus wrote in his response.
In a January petition, the Second Mile board of directors asked for distribution of assets and dissolution.
The Second Mile was founded by Jerry Sandusky in 1977, decades before he retired as defensive coordinator at Penn State and 35 years before he was convicted for 45 counts of various child sexual abuse charges. Sandusky’s victims came from the ranks of the at-risk boys being helped by the charity.
Penn State and the charity have both been sued by victims in the case. The university settled many of those cases. The number had stood at $60 million for 26 cases until a trustees meeting in April 2015 when an additional undisclosed settlement with one or more individuals was authorized.
Bilus asked that the court enter a provision in any order granting the Second Mile petition, requesting that any claims against the charity not filed within 120 days be barred, and stating that would not infringe on Penn State’s right to pursue claims against the Second Mile officers.
Lori Falce: 814-235-3910, @LoriFalce
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