STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State coach Joe Paterno said
Saturday that he will defer to the university on how to respond to
a court ruling that would make his salary public record.
"Whatever the university wants to do is fine. If you want to
release it, release it. If you don't want to release it, don't
release it," Paterno said during his preseason news conference at
Beaver Stadium.
A Commonwealth Court panel ruled 3-2 on Friday that the State
Employees' Retirement System correctly decided last year that a
newspaper reporter could see salary information for Paterno and
other high-ranking university officials.
Jan Murphy of The Patriot-News of Harrisburg had asked for
documents that reflect years of service, salary and salary history
for Paterno, Penn State's head coach since 1966, as well as three
other Penn State administrators.
The school has said that it will appeal the decision to the
state Supreme Court. Spokesman Tysen Kendig said Friday that none
of Paterno's salary is funded by taxpayer dollars.
Penn State is one of the four "state-related" universities in
Pennsylvania. Total state aid to Penn State and the three other
schools -- Temple, Pittsburgh and Lincoln -- has been about $650
million per year in recent years.
"I think the university will do what they think is best for the
university. As far as I am concerned, that's how I'm going to leave
it," Paterno said.