Local Attorney Helping In Penn State Sex Scandal
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities attorney, who's had success in similar sexual abuse cases, is now involved in the Penn State scandal.
By suing the Catholic Church more than a thousand times in the past 30 years in sex abuse cases, attorney Jeff Anderson has gained national prominence. In Pennsylvania, Anderson has been involved in two dozen cases involving children being molested by Catholic priests.
Anderson, a licensed attorney in the state of Pennsylvania, said he cannot yet name who he is helping in the Penn State case.
"Can we help there? Yes. Have we been called to help? Absolutely. Will we help? Definitely," said Anderson.
Former Penn State defense coordinator Jerry Sandusky has been charged with molesting eight boys between 1994 and 2009. Two other school administrators have been charged in a cover up.
Because there was a cover up in the Penn State case, Anderson says the statute of limitations won't apply.
"Because there has been a cover up here, that has both now been demonstrated publicly and revealed to us privately, we believe even those survivors that were abused by Sandusky decades ago still can get relief," said Anderson.
In Anderson's most recent blog, he details what he sees as the parallels between the Penn State scandal and the Catholic sex abuse scandals. He said the school faces enormous legal liability because the abuse occurred on Penn State property and administrators were made aware of some of the incidents.
"It's a real opportunity for the survivors to sue them and to hold them accountable, to bring the truth to bear, so they realize kids go first -- reputations go second," said Anderson.
Anderson said it is not enough for Coach Joe Paterno to resign at the end of the season. Anderson said he should resign now.
Anderson said he will be able to discuss the Penn State cases and more specific details of his involvement in the near future.
