We haven't heard the last of Penn Staters' attacks on Louis J. Freeh.
Former Penn State University President Graham Spanier, with his wife Sandra at his side, leaves after his preliminary arraignment at Magisterial District Judge William C. Wenner's office last fall. Spanier is charged with obstruction, endangering the welfare of children and perjury related to the Jerry Sandusky case. JOE HERMITT, The Patriot-News
Disgraced former Penn State president and still-tenured professor Graham Spanier filed a writ in Centre County Court Thursday preserving his right to launch a slander / defamation suit against Freeh.
The suit would pit the president ousted by the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal against the former FBI director whom the Penn State board retained weeks later to shed light on how the scandal was permitted to fester for so many years.
Freeh's report repositioned Spanier from a man who bungled the management of major controversy at and around the university to someone with potential criminal liability for interfering with the Sandusky probe and lying to investigators.
Spanier was eventually charged last fall by the state Attorney General's office with perjury, obstruction of justice and endangering the welfare of children. A preliminary hearing on those counts is set for later this month.
The 64-year-old Spanier, however, has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence of all charges, and has made clear in interviews through the past year that he believes it was Freeh who was negligent in his characterization of Spanier and his top aides.
The writ of summons filed today is not the actual complaint; that will come at a later point. But the paperwork on file indicates that Spanier will be seeking monetary damages from Freeh and or his law firm.
Neither party could be reached for this report.