Saturday, August 11

Ray Blehar's Letter to the BOT re: NCAA Sanction Vote

Dear Board Members,
I am sure you are aware that many people, including students, alumni, and non-alumni, have reviewed the Freeh Report and have found it to be a very biased account of who was responsible for not protecting our children from the harm caused by Jerry Sandusky.

I am one of those persons.

I am also a PSU Honors Graduate (MBA 2008), Life Member of the Alumni Association, and donor to PSU, who has spent 27 years as a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community analyzing and evaluating information to determine its validity and its impact.

I have spent countless hours reading and analyzing the information not only in the Freeh Report, but the November 2011 Grand Jury Presentment, the University Park Police Report from 1998, Alycia Chambers Psychological Report from 1998, "Touched" by Jerry Sandusky, contemporary research on pedophilia, and research about the signs of child sexual abuse.

From all of this study and analysis, I have concluded that the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare's investigation of Jerry Sandusky in 1998 was mishandled and that the investigator assigned, Mr. Jerry Lauro, did not make a good faith effort to investigate the suspected abuse of not just two children, but up to six others who were frequently seen in public with Jerry Sandusky.

Some of those children are now known as Victims 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10.

Based on the evidence mentioned above, Mr. Jerry Lauro spent less than one day actively investigating the 1998 case.

He did not personally interview either of the children who were subjected to showering with Jerry Sandusky, nor is there anything on the record indicating he attempted to seek out the other potential victims who were identified by the mother of Victim 6, the local Centre County Children and Youth Services caseworker, Mr. John Miller, and University Park Police Detective Ronald Schreffler.
Ten days into the case, Mr. Lauro's agency, the DPW notified PSU that they intended to resolve the matter quickly (Exhibit 2B, Freeh Report). At that point, they had yet to interview Jerry Sandusky.

On June 1, 1998, Mr. Lauro and Detective Schreffler interviewed Jerry Sandusky. The case was closed that day.

While Penn State has received the brunt of the criticism for the actions of its officials in 2001 (the legality of which will be determined by a court of law), the PA DPW has received little or no criticism, nor has anyone raised the very legitimate concern that this agency, that failed so miserably in 1998, is still operating in the same manner and putting the welfare of the children of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at considerable risk.

I strongly suggest that the PSU BOT table any vote on accepting NCAA sanctions and turn its attention to evaluating the Freeh Report and the other evidence associated with it and come to a decision about Penn State's culpability for protecting children from Jerry Sandusky from 1998 to 2011.
Sincerely,
Raymond M. Blehar
Honors Graduate, Smeal MBA
Life Member, Penn State Alumni Association
Sparks Circle Member, PSU President's Club
Honorary Coach Member, Nittany Lion Club
Charter Member, Mount Nittany Club

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