Discovery in Penn State lawsuit due in September

The money collected from the largest fine levied against a university by the NCAA should

be spent on child abuse programs in Pennsylvania, according to a suit filed by state Sen. Jake Corman (R-Centre) and Treasurer Rob McCord.

The plaintiffs will make their case before the Commonwealth Court at the beginning of the year, after Judge Anne Covey set the trial to tentatively start on Jan. 6, with discovery complete by September.

The suit says that the NCAA's $60 million fine against Penn State University as punishment for failing to report former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse of children should be completely spent on programs in Pennsylvania, instead of spreading the funds outside the state.

Covey ruled last month in favor of the NCAA's motion that Penn State become a party to the litigation. The collegiate organization argued that the university was necessary to maintain the court's jurisdiction.

Sandusky, the former defensive coordinator for the Penn State football team, was convicted on 45 counts of child sex-abuse in the summer of 2012.

He was subsequently sentenced to between 30 and 60 years in state prison.

The conviction and sentence were upheld by both the state Superior Court and Supreme Court.

Following a third party investigation into the events and the release of the findings by investigator Louis Freeh, the NCAA imposed harsh sanctions against Penn State. Besides the fine, the school had also incurred a four-year ban on post-season play, a four-year reduction of grants-in-aid, four years of probation, and the vacation of sports wins dating back to 1998.