Matt Sandusky is among 7 victims who settled with Penn State, lawyer says

By The Associated Press

on August 23, 2013 at 11:34 PM

HARRISBURG — A Philadelphia attorney said Friday seven young men he represents have finalized deals with Penn State over claims of abuse by the school's former assistant football coach, Jerry Sandusky.

Lawyer Matt Casey said his clients include Sandusky's adopted son, Matt Sandusky, as well as the young man known as "Victim 2" in court records and three other victims who testified last summer against Jerry Sandusky at his criminal trial. "Victim 2" was the boy then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary said he saw being attacked by Jerry Sandusky in a campus shower in 2001.

Casey said the terms of the settlements took shape some time ago, but it wasn't until a week ago that he felt the deals were complete, followed by passing paperwork back and forth to memorialize it. He didn't disclose the settlement terms.

"To say they're relieved, I think, is a fair statement," Casey said. "But it's also accurate to say that while we've closed this chapter, there's a whole lot of this that's necessarily inadequate."

The university has not announced the deals.

Nearly a week ago, a lawyer disclosed the first settlement among the 31 lawsuits filed against the school amid the Sandusky scandal, and a lawyer brought in by Penn State to facilitate negotiations said earlier this week that he expected 24 more cases to settle in the near future.

A Penn State spokesman on Friday said only that settlement talks continued to progress. He declined further comment.

Sandusky, 69, a former longtime defensive coach under Joe Paterno, was convicted last summer of 45 counts of child sexual abuse and is serving a decades-long state prison sentence. He maintains he is innocent, and an appeals hearing is scheduled for next month in Dallas, Pa.

Other lawyers involved in settlement talks said Friday they were still working with the university but none had a signed, final agreement.