Penn State Trustee Steven Garban Resigns: Says His Presence on the Board is a 'Distraction'

By Charlene Cooper | Jul 21, 2012 01:57 PM EDT

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Steve Garban resigned from the Penn State Board of Trustees following the release of the Freeh Report released last week. The report highlights how the school's trustees and top officials did not take advantage of opportunities to report Jerry Sandusky's behavior to police.

Garban became a trustee almost 15 years ago and served as chairman from 2010-2011.

His close ties with late head coach Joe Paterno and former FBI director Louis Freeh suggests motives for Garban's hiding information from the board, when he refused to share that charges were pending against Sandusky last year.

Garban initially planned on serving on the board until next year, when his term would be over.

Garban resigned Thursday, sending a letter to board chairperson Karen Peetz.

"These past months have been some of the most painful of my life," the letter reads. "The horrific allegations that came to light in November have haunted us all, but nothing we have experienced compares to that of Jerry Sandusky's victims. My thoughts and prayers will remain with them always."

Following the accusations mentioned in the Freeh Report, Garban no longer felt that his membership was a positive one for the board.

Garban mentioned, "It is clear to me that my presence on the Board has become a distraction and an impediment to your efforts to move forward and continue the Board's most important work."

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