Jerry Sandusky Penn State Scandal: Defense Lawyer Impregnated Teenager
The lawyer for embattled former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky impregnated a teenager in 1996.
Defense lawyer Joe Amendola, 63, served as the lawyer for the emancipation petition of Mary Lavasile in September 1996, according to documents filed with Centre County Courthouse, just weeks before her 17th birthday.
According to The Daily, Lavasile became pregnant with Amendola's child around the same time as the petition. Amendola was 49 when Lavasile gave birth to the child.
“At the time, I didn’t know the extent of the relationship,” said Mary's mother, Janet Lavasile, in an interview with The Daily. She also said Amendola appeared as a "mentor" to her daughter.
“She met him through the school district; she was interested in the law,” she added.
The couple married on Feb. 8, 2003, according to court records. They had their second child around the same time as their wedding and have since separated, according to the report.
Janet Lavasile said she grew accustomed to the peculiar relationship.
“Joe is a very good father and has loved his two children very much, and that’s the most important thing for me right now,” she said.
Mary Amendola, who kept her husband's surname, emailed The Daily and said the information reported was "incorrect."
She also tried to keep away from her husband in wake of the Penn State scandal that has rocked the nation over the past week.
Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is being charged with 40 counts of sexual abuse of young boys. The evidence is stacked against him; various eyewitnesses, victims, and phone calls could make it difficult for a jury to find him innocent.
Sandusky claimed on NBC’s “Rock Center” that he never had sex with young boys.
"I could say… I have horsed around with kids. I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them and I have touched their legs without intent of sexual contact," Sandusky said in an interview with NBC.
The scandal resulted in the firing of legendary head coach Joe Paterno and University President Graham Spanier, because the men allegedly witnessed the sexual abuse and failed to file a police report.
