Former Penn State President Loses Hometown Honor

One day after he was removed as president of Penn State, Graham Spanier has lost another distinction: his place as a distinguished graduate of .

"Our distinguished alumni need to be role models," said  in a statement. "In an attempt to protect our students, the plaque has been removed."

Spanier, 63, and Penn State football coach Joe Paterno were both removed from their university positions Wednesday in an attempt by the university to control the damage done by the arrest of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky Saturday. Sandusky has been charged with sexually abusing eight boys over the course of 15 years, according to the New York Times. 

Neither Spanier nor Paterno were charged in the case; however evidence suggests the two could have done more to stop Sandusky.

Before he became one the longest-serving and highest-paid university presidents in the nation, Spanier was a Highland Park resident and a class of '66 Highland Park High School (HPHS) graduate. While enrolled, Spanier edited the sports section of "Shoreline," the high school newspaper.

, who wrote for Spanier while the two of them were students at HPHS, remembers Spanier was a good editor, journalist and reporter. 

"I remember kibbitzing," Sadin said. "He was a nice, pleasant guy."

Distinguished HPHS alumni earn a place on the school's walls through "achievements in their fields and contributions to society," according to District 113 Director of Communication Natalie Kaplan. 

"The alumni reflect positively on their association with HPHS," Kaplan said.

According to , the decision to take Spanier's plaque down came because the Sandusky case has generated "a lot of questions about Spanier’s involvement."

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