Insurance company alleges Joe Paterno knew about Jerry Sandusky sex abuse in 1976

An insurance company alleges that late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno was told in 1976 about sexual abuse committed by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, according to a court order made public Thursday.

In 2012, Sandusky was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison for abusing 10 boys he met through his youth charity, and the court order is part of a dispute over whether Penn State or its insurance company should pay $60 million in settlements to 26 men who say Sandusky sexually abused them as children, NBC News reports.

The Pennsylvania Manufacturer's Association Insurance company claims that a child allegedly told Paterno that he was "sexually molested by Sandusky," and in 1987 and 1988 other assistant coaches witnessed "inappropriate" or "sexual" conduct between Sandusky and children. The abuse was previously thought to have taken place between 1994 and 2008. In a statement, Paterno's family said his "reputation has once again been smeared with an unsubstantiated, 40-year-old allegation."

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