Within his prison cell, Jerry Sandusky criticized Penn State for settling with men who came forward and claimed the former assistant football coach abused them. Sandusky believes the university didn’t question the victims before settling and implies he was “thrown under the bus.”

Several of the letters Sandusky penned while behind bars have been published, the latest addressed to iconoclastic filmmaker John Ziegler. In the letter, Sandusky calls Penn State “insane” for settling with the victims, adding that the university has chosen “to just throw out the money to anybody who called. Why wouldn’t hundreds come forward?”

“The only concern from the beginning of this by administrators and trustees has been to protect their image,” Sandusky wrote in the Aug. 20 letter. “They didn’t question what they called ‘victims,’ instead they opened their arms and offered settlements, psychologists, public events, and media presentations.

“A public relations firm was hired early; this was their approach, and it didn’t matter who was thrown under the bus. Once they chose this course, they had to protect themselves.”

Sandusky also took the time to address the credibility of Victim 5, who testified he was forced to shower with the former coach after a workout in Aug. 2001 — months after Sandusky was banned from bringing children into the athletic facilities. Sandusky wrote he believes defense attorney Joe Amendola thought the allegations were so “absurd” that he did not focus on Victim 5 during the trial. Tom Kline, Victim 5’s attorney, announced a settlement with Penn State had been reached Aug. 17. 

The letter was written a few days after the first few settlements were finalized. The latest reports indicate Penn State has settled with 25 of 31 men who claimed abuse at the hands of Sandusky. Three men who came forward, claiming abuse, were found to not be credible.

A panel of state Superior Court judges will hear the convicted child molester’s appeal next month in Luzerne County.