Sixth civil suit filed against Penn State involving Sandusky

Gerald A. Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator with Penn State's football program, received a 30- to 60-year sentence after being convicted in June for sexually molesting 10 boys./ AP PHOTO

The sixth civil lawsuit against Pennsylvania State University was filed Tuesday on behalf of an unnamed victim involving child sexual abuse allegations against former Penn State assistant football coach Gerald A. Sandusky.

The suit, filed in federal court in Philadelphia, also names Mr. Sandusky and nonprofit youth charity The Second Mile, and seeks a minimum of $75,000 on behalf of the unnamed victim.

The man, referred to as Victim 6, alleges that Penn State and Second Mile knew of and failed to prevent Mr. Sandusky's alleged child sexual abuse of him when he was 11 years old, according to court documents.

Victim 6 alleges that in 1998, Mr. Sandusky, who called himself the “Tickle Monster,” grabbed and fondled him inside a Penn State shower facility, according to court documents.

Mr. Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator with Penn State's powerhouse football program, received a 30- to 60-year sentence after being convicted in June for sexually molesting 10 boys.

The suit cites theFreeh Report, an internal investigation commissioned by Penn State that blasted the university for failures in reporting abuse allegations, and claims school officials concealed information to preserve the university's image.

Penn State's “purposeful disregard and continued and deliberate concealment of Sandusky's inappropriate conduct was a function of its recognition that the university's stature, reputation, and economic interests would be adversely affected by any public disclosure regarding the sociopathic character of an individual associated with the school's legendary and financially lucrative football program,” the suit contends.

The suit makes claims on grounds of negligence and premise liability, among others.

“We are aware of the case brought by Victim 6 against the university, and it has been referred to legal counsel,” a spokeswoman for Penn State said in an email. “As this is an ongoing piece of litigation, we can't comment further at this time.”

As of Oct. 31, Penn State says it has paid $25,926,451 in legal fees and to consulting and public relations firms involving the Sandusky scandal.