The Penn State University (PSU) Board of Trustees announced after a meeting Wednesday evening that after serving for 16 years Dr. Graham Spanier would be removed as president of the college—the latest casualty in charges of child sex abuse that have rocked the university.
“It has been my great privilege and honor to serve Penn State for more than 25 years,” Spanier said in a statement on PSU’s “Live” news website. Spanier went on to express pride in the achievements and advancements of the university, calling his position “a dream job in American higher education.”
He touched on the “wisdom” of the board of trustees decision for a leadership change, adding “the buck stops here.”
“My heartfelt sympathies go out to all those who may have been victimized,” Spanier said.
Spanier’s release coincided with the firing of football head coach Joe Paterno. Paterno, 84, is a legend in college football, serving in his 46th year as head coach at Penn State—the longest tenure in Division 1 history.
After the announcement of Paterno’s firing Wednesday night, the university erupted in protest, with calls to keep him on as head coach. According to reports, a mob of angry students flipped over a van and vandalized the campus. Police were brought in with riot gear and tear gas.
Paterno had announced earlier in the day that he would retire at the end of the season; the board of trustees had decided otherwise.
