STATE COLLEGE (AP) - A new Penn State University employee says he was surprised at all the media attention over his job, a position created in the wake of child sex abuse allegations being lodged against retired assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.
Gabriel Gates was hired to train and monitor staff on compliance with the Clery Act, a federal crime-reporting law for schools, the Altoona Mirror reported Monday.
Gates' job is new to the university. Former FBI director Louis Freeh, who is investigating the allegations against Sandusky, recommended that the school create the position.
"The Clery Act is a way for parents to get a full picture of what is happening on campus - sexual assaults, theft. It is an overall look at a college's crime rate," Gates told the paper. The 1990 law requires school officials to report the number of criminal offenses on campus each year.
The U.S. Department of Education is investigating whether Penn State violated the Clery Act by failing to report accusations of sexual abuse in the Sandusky case. The university is still waiting on results from that investigation, Gates said.
Sandusky, 68, awaits a June 5 trial on 52 criminal counts of the sexual abuse of 10 boys over 15 years, including allegations of violent assaults inside Penn State athletic facilities. He has denied all the charges.
Within the Penn State community, thousands of people are considered campus security authorities under the Clery Act. They include university officials, coaches, club advisers and teachers, all of whom need to be trained on compliance, Gates said.
"The Clery Act leaves a lot of room for interpretation," said Gates, who started in the position in March.
Gates, 29, had previously worked with the Department of Defense Naval Audit Service.
Clery annual reports can be viewed on the Penn State University Police and Public Safety website.
