Report on abuse scandal tarnishes Paterno legacy

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - A report that claims Joe Paterno and other top Penn State officials concealed what they knew about Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse of children may prove to be an indelible stain on the beloved coach's 61-year tenure at the school.

Some of Paterno's supporters, though, insist the late coach got a raw deal from former FBI Director Louis Freeh .

Freeh's report on the Sandusky scandal Thursday says that Paterno and senior university officials made a decision to protect Sandusky to avoid damaging the school's image and its powerful football program.

Penn State's internal investigation into one of the worst scandals in sports history shows Paterno to be more deeply involved in the university's response to abuse complaints about Sandusky than previously thought.

But the report is unlikely to settle the debate about Paterno's culpability.