Pa. fights paying Sandusky’s pension

Attorneys argue that Pennsylvania can stop paying a pension to former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky because of his employment status at the time he was arrested on child molestation charges.

The Centre Daily Times reports that attorneys for the state’s pension system made the claim in a filing this week. They say Sandusky remained a contracted employee even after he retired from coaching in 1999, meaning he should forfeit his $59,000 annual pension because he was a de facto employee when he was arrested in 2011. State rules require employees convicted of certain crimes to forfeit their pensions.

Sandusky’s attorneys contend he no longer worked for the state when he was arrested. They say Sandusky received intermittent payments after retiring for speaking fees and other expenses but wasn’t on the payroll.