Here’s something you don’t see every day – a Penn State trustee being a terrible person and being critical of rape victims!
The awful trustee in question is Albert Lord, a former CEO of Sallie Mae. In an email he sent to The Chronicle of Higher Education, Lord defended former Penn State president (and fellow miserable human) Graham Spanier while railing against Jerry Sandusky’s rape victims.
“Running out of sympathy for 35 yr old, so-called victims with 7 digit net worth,” Lord said in the email sent Saturday. “Do not understand why they were so prominent in trial. As you learned, Graham Spanier never knew Sandusky abused anyone.”
To the shock of no one, Penn State distanced themselves from Lord’s comments as quickly as they could.
“Al Lord’s comments are personal and do not represent the opinions of the board or the university,” Ira M. Lubert, the chairman of Penn State’s Board of Trustees, said in a statement to the publication. “The sentiments of the board and university leadership were expressed in the very first line of the statement released by Penn State: First and foremost, our thoughts remain with the victims of Jerry Sandusky.”
Full disclosure: I’m a Penn State alum.
Lord’s comments are appalling. What does someone’s net worth have to do with what they’ve been through? Does that somehow mean they haven’t suffered and aren’t entitled to attempt to rebuild their lives?
Also, when you say “so-called victims,” you’re implying they weren’t actually raped, which isn’t true given that Sandusky was jailed after being found guilty of 45 different charges relating to sexual abuse.
At this point, nothing that comes out of the mouth of a Penn State trustee will surprise me. Will I be disgusted? Of course. Shocked? Nah. That ship has sailed.
