After allegations of unreported sexual abuse rocked Pennsylvania State University earlier this month, Ohio University is reminding students and employees to report any instances of abuse to law enforcement.
OU President Roderick McDavis sent a campuswide email this week reminding students and employees to report any instances of sexual abuse they see.
Joe Paterno had been the Nittany Lions’ head coach for 46 years before being fired Nov. 9. His former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, allegedly sexually abused multiple young boys in school facilities. Paterno knew of at least one instance of child sexual abuse in 2002 and allegedly reported the matter only to Penn State athletics director Tim Curley.
The grand jury findings in the Sandusky case say Paterno, Curley and then-Penn State President Graham Spanier never reported the allegations of sexual abuse to local law enforcement. Earlier this month, Spanier was ousted by the university's board of trustees for his inaction.
“We share a great responsibility to protect children, and we must do everything we can to prevent or immediately report any abuse of a child,” McDavis said in the email.
OU's Board of Trustees also discussed the importance of reporting crimes that happen at OU during the Governance Committee meeting last Thursday.
Ohio football will open its 2012 season with a game against Penn State.
