Anti-Paterno Banner Flies Over Penn State: 'Take The Statue Down Or We Will'
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WFAN/AP) — A company that's towing a banner over Penn State demanding the removal of a Joe Paterno statue has a history of controversy, according to aviation records.
A plane licensed to Air America Aerial Ads of Genoa, Ohio, flew over State College on Wednesday with a banner saying "Take the statue down or we will," according to the Centre Daily Times in State College, Pa.
The Federal Aviation Administration grounded a plane from the same company after it towed banners taunting Tiger Woods during the 2010 Masters golf tournament.
A report last week concluded that Paterno helped cover up child sex abuse allegations against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Many have called for the statue's removal, but the message didn't sit well with some.
"It was the threatening nature of it that made me feel people were invading our home," a Penn State employee told the Daily Times. "That's not helpful."
A man who answered the phone at Air America declined to give his name or identify who paid for the flight, but he said they believe in free speech.
The president of the NCAA said in an interview Monday that he hasn't ruled out shutting down Penn State's football program for a period of time in the aftermath of the Sandusky scandal.
Should the Paterno statue be taken down? Sound off in the comments below...
(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
