’Never will’ condemn Joe Paterno, says Gov. Tom Corbett

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Gov. Tom Corbett said Thursday he has never condemned the late Penn State coach Joe Paterno for his actions regarding now-convicted child sex abuser Jerry Sandusky, and he “never will,” citing what he called the “unusual circumstances” surrounding what happened.

The Republican governor, now in the middle of a re-election campaign, also told The Associated Press that he regrets that the Penn State board decided to fire Paterno by phone rather than in person. The governor was a voting trustee when the scandal broke in November 2011.

“When they were talking about the whole thing I said, ‘You’ve got to remember the children,’ ” Corbett said. “Since that date the only thing I have said about Joe Paterno is I’ve quoted him. As he said, I wish he would have done more. I’ve not condemned, one way or the other, never have, never will. These are unusual circumstances.”

Corbett said his recollection was that he did not take part in a voice vote on Paterno’s firing.

Corbett said when he hung up from the trustees’ conference call that night the board had not decided how they were going to tell Paterno he was no longer the coach. They ended up having someone deliver a note directing Paterno to call a phone number, and when he did, board vice president John Surma fired him.

“If I had known that, I would have insisted they do it in person,” Corbett said. “Man up.”