Penn State fined record $2.4 million in Jerry Sandusky child molestation case

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The U.S. Department of Education is hitting Penn State with a record $2.4 million fine for violating a law that requires colleges and universities to report campus crimes and warn people if their safety is threatened.

The fine announced Thursday was the result of a five-year federal investigation into how Penn State officials handled complaints about former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky before he was charged in 2011 with child molestation.

The agency says Penn State largely ignored many of its duties under the Clery Act. It’s the largest fine issued under the law.

It says the school violated regulations when it didn’t warn students and employees of the forthcoming charges against Sandusky, who was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse.

Penn State says it’s reviewing the findings.