Close Menu
The Baylor Lariat
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    Trending
    • Students react to emergency alert following campus lockdown
    • Baylor shelter-in-place lifted following police pursuit of robbery suspects
    • Baylor graduate charged after killing cats with pellet gun, hanging bodies over utility lines
    • Baylor Football’s Alex Foster dies at 18
    • Board of Regents confirms budget, renovations, new leadership in May meeting
    • How facilities responds to storms, flooding in campus buildings
    • Welcome Week leaders now paid in hopes of increasing numbers
    • 5 Baylor sports storylines to look forward to in 2025-26
    • About us
      • Spring 2025 Staff Page
      • Copyright Information
    • Contact
      • Contact Information
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Subscribe to The Morning Buzz
      • Department of Student Media
    • Employment
    • PDF Archives
    • RSS Feeds
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    The Baylor LariatThe Baylor Lariat
    Subscribe to the Morning Buzz
    Friday, July 4
    • News
      • State and National News
        • State
        • National
      • Politics
        • 2025 Inauguration Page
        • Election Page
      • Homecoming Page
      • Baylor News
      • Waco Updates
      • Campus and Waco Crime
    • Arts & Life
      • Wedding Edition 2025
      • What to Do in Waco
      • Campus Culture
      • Indy and Belle
      • Sing 2025
      • Leisure and Travel
        • Leisure
        • Travel
          • Baylor in Ireland
      • Student Spotlight
      • Local Scene
        • Small Businesses
        • Social Media
      • Arts and Entertainment
        • Art
        • Fashion
        • Food
        • Literature
        • Music
        • Film and Television
    • Opinion
      • Editorials
      • Points of View
      • Lariat Letters
    • Sports
      • March Madness 2025
      • Football
      • Basketball
        • Men’s Basketball
        • Women’s Basketball
      • Soccer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
      • Volleyball
      • Equestrian
      • Cross Country and Track & Field
      • Acrobatics & Tumbling
      • Tennis
      • Golf
      • Pro Sports
      • Sports Takes
      • Club Sports
    • Lariat TV News
    • Multimedia
      • Video Features
      • Podcasts
        • Don’t Feed the Bears
      • Slideshows
    • Advertising
    The Baylor Lariat
    Home»News»National

    Governor to Penn State students: stop violence

    By November 11, 2011 National No Comments3 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Genaro C. Armas
    Associated Press

    STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Gov. Tom Corbett asked Penn State students on Thursday to refrain from the violence that wracked their college town after football coach Joe Paterno was fired, saying the nation is watching their behavior.

    At a news conference in State College, Corbett also expressed disappointment in Paterno and university President Graham Spanier, who were fired by university trustees the night before for their handling of child sex abuse allegations against a former assistant football coach.

    Thousands of students took to the streets Wednesday night after Paterno’s dismissal, overturning a TV news van and throwing rocks, bottles and other hard objects at police and others.

    “I believe in your right of assembly and your right to express your opinions,” Corbett said. “I do not believe, nor does anyone believe, in your right to violence.”

    Investigators said they were reviewing video footage and have identified numerous suspects who could be charged with riot, attempted arson or other counts.

    “The crowd initially was a peaceful demonstration against Coach Paterno’s firing. The crowd quickly turned from a peaceful demonstration to a riotous mob,” State College police said in a statement. “The mob attempted to light vehicles on fire, and tore down light posts and street signs.”

    In the statement, police estimated the crowd totaled as many as 4,000 to 5,000 people and that officers made numerous orders to disperse but eventually had to use pepper spray. About 100 police officers were downtown, many wearing helmets.

    Paterno had announced earlier Wednesday that he planned to retire after the season and expressed remorse for not having done more after he learned of sex abuse allegations that had been lodged against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, who has denied the charges. On Wednesday night, the board of trustees announced his immediate firing.

    Meanwhile, a group that advocates for the rights of people abused by Catholic priests released a statement cautioning Paterno’s supporters to think about the consequences of their actions.

    “As for the students who are rallying around Paterno, we hope university officials will ask them to consider the anguish their actions are causing the victimized children as well as other members of their community who are victims of sexual violence,” BishopAccountability.org said in the statement.

    “To observers of the Catholic crisis, this phenomenon is sadly familiar,” the group said. “The students are similar to the parishioners who rally around abusive priests and complicit bishops. This kind of deference to powerful authority figures helps create a culture in which victims are silenced and officials feel entitled to hide crimes rather than calling the police.”

    Pennsylvania State University

    Keep Reading

    Prices could rise throughout 2025 due to tariffs, reciprocal actions

    Endangered Species Act could be facing extinction

    Attacks on judiciary threaten rule of law, undermine democracy

    ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs could make cars more expensive

    Charged debate around Musk, Tesla culminates in vandalism, recalls

    Public libraries, museums could face government funding cuts

    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Recent Posts
    • Students react to emergency alert following campus lockdown June 27, 2025
    • Baylor shelter-in-place lifted following police pursuit of robbery suspects June 26, 2025
    About

    The award-winning student newspaper of Baylor University since 1900.

    Articles, photos, and other works by staff of The Baylor Lariat are Copyright © Baylor® University. All rights reserved.

    Subscribe to the Morning Buzz

    Get the latest Lariat News by just Clicking Subscribe!

    Follow the Live Coverage
    Tweets by @bulariat

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    • Featured
    • News
    • Sports
    • Opinion
    • Arts and Life
    © 2025 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.