Penn State : Campus vandalized after students riot in support of Paterno
Damaged lamppost on Penn State campus
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Only a shade of what was done hours earlier remained by 5:45 a.m. Thursday.
Two lampposts were still down near College Avenue. Both metal posts were snapped at their concrete bases. One of the posts, across from the Student Book Store on College Avenue, had its glass broken while the other post had its lights on and illuminated a dark morning. Thousands of Pennsylvania State University students flocked the downtown area Wednesday night into Thursday morning to display their anger over the firing of longtime football coach Joe Paterno, 84.
Paterno, who has the most wins of any coach in Division I college football history, was fired Wednesday night in light of a sexual abuse scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Paterno’s lack of action following a meeting with Athletic Director Tim Curley, who was placed on administrative leave earlier this week, resulted in the termination. Paterno was in his 46th year coaching the Nittany Lions.
Graham Spanier, the longtime Penn State president, was also removed by the Board of Trustees on Wednesday night.
Toilet paper still covered parts of College Avenue. Rocks — which angry students reportedly threw at media members and police officers — were displaced across the sidewalk. Students also flipped over a television news van that was parked along College Avenue. The van was turned upright by 6 a.m.
Police officers were forced to use pepper spray to control the crowd.
Paterno issued a statement Wednesday night after the news of his firing broke.
‘Right now, I’m not the football coach, and that’s something I have to get used to,’ Paterno said, according to the Associated Press.
Several media outlets gathered at Paterno’s home at 830 McKee St. in State College, Pa., Thursday morning in hopes that the legendary Penn State coach would answer questions. Although most of the Penn State assistant coaches filed in and out of Paterno’s modest ranch home Thursday morning, he had yet to address the media at 12:15 p.m.
Published on November 9, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Contact Jon: jdharr04@syr.edu
