Penn State ex-coaches sue university for $1 million


Two former assistant football coaches at Penn State University, one of whom is the son of the late Joe Paterno, filed a lawsuit against the university seeking $1 million in damages. The coaches claim they were unfairly associated with assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's child molestation scandal.
Jay Paterno and Bill Kenney were fired from the university in 2012, when new head coach Bill O'Brien was hired and Sandusky was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison. Paterno and Kenney say their dismissals were unfounded and that they "have been denied lucrative employment opportunities based upon the false light and association by innuendo," according to the lawsuit.
They are seeking $1 million from Penn State for damages to their reputations and have also asked the university for an official statement denying they were connected to Sandusky. Penn State, meanwhile, said in a statement that it is "common practice for incoming head coaches to select their own coaching staff."
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Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
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