STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The US Department of Education announced Wednesday it would launch an investigation to determine whether Penn State officials violated a federal law requiring universities to disclose criminal offenses that occur on campus.
The investigation comes amid a child sex abuse scandal involving former football coach Jerry Sandusky, who has been charged with 21 felony counts for allegedly abusing eight victims over a period of 15 years.
Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz have been charged with perjury and failure to report suspected child abuse.
“If these allegations of sexual abuse are true then this is a horrible tragedy for those young boys,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a release. “If it turns out that some people at the school knew of the abuse and did nothing or covered it up, that makes it even worse. Schools and school officials have a legal and moral responsibility to protect children and young people from violence and abuse.”