LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) -- Penn State University has removed the Joe Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium.
Shortly after dawn Sunday morning, in a process largely shielded from view by tarps, workers at Penn State removed the statue from its base and transported it into the stadium by forklift. The Associated Press reported that construction vehicles and police
barricading the street and sidewalks near the statue, erecting a
chain-link fence then concealing the statue with a blue tarp. It also reported that around 150 students were nearby, chanting, "We are Penn State."
In a statement on Penn State's web site, Penn State president Rodney Erickson said the statue, "has become a source of division and an obstacle to healing in our University and beyond. For that reason, I have decided that it is in the best interest of our university and public safety to remove the statue and store it in a secure location."
Meanwhile, CBS News this morning reported that an NCAA source has said the organization will announce "unprecedented" penalties against the school in a Monday morning news conference.
"I've never seen anything like it," the source told correspondent Armen Keteyian of CBS Sports. A 9 a.m. news conference has been called by the NCAA, with live streaming available via Twitter @InsidetheNCAA.
Debate over the statue's fate had been widespread in the days since former FBI director Louis Freeh released a report showing Paterno's role in protecting convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky had been wider than originally portrayed.
Still, Erickson was facing pressure to protect the legacy of Paterno, the popular former football coach who holds the NCAA's all-time record for victories.
In addition to removing the statue, Erickson announced that Paterno's name will remain on the school's library.
"I believe that, were it to remain, the statue will be a recurring wound to the multitude of individuals across the nation and beyond who have been the victims of child abuse," Erickson said. "On the other hand, the Paterno Library symbolizes the substantial and lasting contributions to the academic life and educational excellence that the Paterno family has made to Penn State University. The library remains a tribute to Joe and Sue Paterno's commitment to Penn State's student body and academic success, and it highlights the positive impacts Coach Paterno had on the University. Thus I feel strongly that the library's name should remain unchanged."
Erickson added, "I fully realize that my decision will not be popular in some Penn State circles, but I am certain it is the right and principled decision. I believe we have chosen a course that both recognizes the many contributions that Joe Paterno made to the academic life of our University, while taking seriously the conclusions of the Freeh Report and the national issue of child sexual abuse. Today, as every day, our hearts go out to the victims."
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