Graham Spanier Guilty of Child Endangerment in Jerry Sandusky Penn State Scandal

Former Penn State University president Graham Spanier was found guilty of misdemeanor child endangerment Friday for his handling of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal.

Sam Cooper of Yahoo Sports noted Spanier was found not guilty on another child endangerment charge and a conspiracy charge. The misdemeanor count is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to The New York Times.

Spanier, 68, served as Penn State's president from September 1995 to November 2011. He resigned when the Sandusky scandal broke and was later implicated in covering up a 2001 incident that prosecutors said could have prevented future abuse if reported. 

Sandusky, a longtime defensive coordinator under late coach Joe Paterno, was found guilty on 45 of 48 charges stemming from decades of sexual assaults on underage boys. He was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison in 2012.

Former Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and former vice president Gary Schultz each pleaded guilty to misdemeanor child endangerment as part of a plea agreement.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article reported that the guilty verdict was for a felony charge rather than a misdemeanor one, as the jury downgraded the original felony charge. We regret the error.