Penn State trustees install new leaders in wake of Sandusky scandal

By NBC Philadelphia and news services

Andy Colwell / AP

Penn State Board of Trustees President Karen Peetz addresses the board Friday in State College, Pa.,

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- A banking executive has been charged with guiding Penn State's board of trustees through the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

Trustees at their first public meeting since Sandusky's arrest elected Karen Peetz as president of the 32-member board. Peetz is a vice chairman of The Bank of New York Mellon.

Peetz says the board will focus on themes of change, reform and transparency.

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The trustees also elected farm owner Keith Masser as the vice chair.

They're replacing Steve Garban and John Surma, respectively, as trustee leaders.

Garban and Surma decided not to run again. They and other trustees have been criticized by some alumni and former players for their actions after former assistant football coach Sandusky was charged with dozens of counts of child sex abuse in November.

"All of us, including the board, with the wisdom of hindsight could have done things differently," Peetz said.

The board also passed a resolution promising to focus its investgation into the scandal, The Morning Call reported.

Based on an investigation headed by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, trustees agreed to focus on improvements in several areas: strengthening policies for programs involving minors; prompt reporting of incidents of abuse and sexual misconduct; compliance with the Clery Act's training and reporting requirements about crime on campuses; and increased security at athletic facilities.

Trustee Ken Frazier said the new policies would include more background checks, the hiring of a university-wide compliance officer and the immediate confiscation of facility keys from ex-employees, the Morning Call said.

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