UNIVERSITY PARK – Penn State officials reported Wednesday on the rapid implementation of all but one of the 119 changes recommended in a report compiled by independent investigator and federal Judge Louis Freeh in the aftermath of the child sexual abuse committed by former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
The Board of Trustees commissioned Freeh to look into the situation and identify ways to improve Penn State’s responses in the areas of safety and governance and to ensure the highest moral standards and integrity in academics and athletics. The Freeh Report, issued on July 12, 2012, has resulted in 118 changes ranging from restructuring the governance of its Board of Trustees to expanding the University’s Office of Human Resources, while expanding legal and risk reporting protocols.
While 115 of the recommendations are listed as complete, by their nature these changes are actually ongoing and continuous. For example, one recommendation asks that the University continue to benchmark its practices and policies with other similarly situated institutions and to focus on continuous improvement. Initial actions have been taken and these recommendations will continue to receive attention from the Administration Response Team, the Advisory Council and the Board of Trustees. A complete status update on actions taken will be provided in the near future.
The Freeh Report was produced by independent law firm Freeh, Sporkin & Sullivan, which was hired in November of 2011 and investigated the University’s response to the allegations against Sandusky.
