He calls the school's punishments illegal, citing “irreparable” damage to the state's economy.
At a press conference Wednesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett announced his lawsuit against the NCAA over the Penn State sanctions implemented after assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's sex scandal.
Image by Ralph Wilson / AP
NCAA's punishment included stripping the football team of 14 victories under head coach Joe Paterno and fining Penn State University $60 million, which will go toward programs that prevent child sexual abuse.
Pennsylvania legislators have advocated for that money to stay within the state, even asking the NCAA in November to give the $60 million to local programs. On Wednesday, Gov. Corbett appeared alongside Pennsylvania business owners to argue that the sanctions have been detrimental to the local economy.
Corbett laid out the football program's key contributions to Pennsylvania's economy:
Via: portal.state.pa.us
Joe Paterno's family spokesman has issued a cautious statement of support for the lawsuit:
"As we have not yet had an opportunity to review the lawsuit filed by Governor Corbett today, we cannot comment on the specifics of the litigation. What we do know, however, is that this matter is far from closed. The fact that Governor Corbett now realizes, as do many others, that there was an inexcusable rush to judgment is encouraging."