HUNTINGDON - The reason former Penn State University assistant coach and accused child rapist Jerry Sandusky failed a background check at Juniata College last year when applying for a volunteer position was not known at the time, a college spokesman said Thursday.
The college's human resources department sent a letter dated June 3, 2010, to Sandusky's home after he applied for a non-paid volunteer coach position in May, Juniata spokesman John Wall said.
"This letter is to notify you that we are unable to make you an offer of volunteer employment based on our hiring criteria. Justifacts Credential Verification Inc. ran a background check and discovered that Central Mountain High School, where you worked as a Volunteer Football Coach, is undergoing an investigation that prevents you from being eligible to work for their school. You failed to include this information on the background verification form that you filled out at the time of your interview," according to an excerpt of the letter Wall provided to the Mirror.
Sandusky, who maintains his innocence, was accused of sexually abusing a Central Mountain student and nine other boys over a 15-year period. Sandusky's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
Former head football coach Carmen Felus approached the college about the position for Sandusky, Wall said. Attempts to contact Felus, who is now an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee at Martin, for comment were unsuccessful.
A formal offer was never made to Sandusky because of what the background check revealed, said former Athletic Director Larry Bock, who is the women's volleyball coach at the U.S. Naval Academy.
The college does in-depth checks on all new full and part-time employees, including students working at camps offered through the college, Wall said. Student workers in offices on campus do not, however. A background check is performed on a final candidate for a position before that person is offered the job.
"We do background [checks] for all people representing the college - volunteers and paid employees," he said.
The position Sandusky applied for did not have any direct contact with children, he said.
