Dermody to NCAA: Penn State Endowment Dollars Should Fund PA Programs

In the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse tragedy, House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody—an Oakmont resident—is pressing the National Collegiate Athletic Association to commit all money from a new Penn State University-funded endowment solely for child sexual abuse programs and organizations in Pennsylvania.

After receiving a letter from NCAA officials on Aug. 28 implying that the endowment would be open to organizations and programs nationwide, Dermody sent a letter to the athletic association, calling plans to make it a national endowment "unacceptable" and pushing for a firm commitment to make the endowment limited only to Pennsylvania groups.

"It is my firm belief, and the belief of many Pennsylvanians, that 100 percent of this money must remain in Pennsylvania to fund programs and services to help child sexual abuse victims here," he wrote in his letter. "Not only is this endowment being completely funded by Penn State with Pennsylvania dollars, but the endowment’s very creation was sparked by a tragedy that occurred in Pennsylvania and which scarred the lives of Pennsylvania children."

In his letter, Dermody noted that state funding for many Pennsylvania organizations working to fight child sexual abuse has been slashed, and thatt the $60 million Penn State endowment, "would help soften the impact of those painful budget cuts and enable these programs to reach the children who so desperately need help."

According to the NCAA, a "Task Force" is being established to create policies and processes to determine how to allocate and distribute the endowment funds. The NCAA said the task force will be comprised of "national experts on child abuse and the administration of endowments." Dermody pressed for the inclusion of Pennsylvania residents and victims’ advocacy groups on the panel.

Dermody's letter has been attached in the media section of this article.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with Dermody? Tell us in the comments!

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