Sauder Schelkopf is investigating potential legal claims on behalf of individuals who reported sexual assault or rape to the State College Police Department and may have been affected by how those incidents were classified or reflected in publicly available crime data.
According to a December 2025 investigative report by Spotlight PA, State College Police reported significantly fewer rapes over a period of nearly a decade than were reflected in internal records reviewed by the newsroom. The report states in part that “From 2013 to 2021, State College police reported a total of 67 rapes in crime submissions to Pennsylvania State Police, when in fact there had been 321 — a 254-case difference — according to a 10-month Spotlight PA investigation.” It was reported incidents that met the federal definition of rape were categorized under lesser “sex offense” classifications in crime data submitted to state and federal reporting systems.
Spotlight PA: Hundreds of rapes in the State College area weren’t reported in public police data over nearly a decade
April 8, 2022: The Daily Collegian 2 Penn State sexual assault survivors’ ‘hopeless’ journey navigating mental health, legal system
Public reporting further indicates that the Federal Bureau of Investigation revised its definition of rape in 2012, and that the updated definition was adopted by many law enforcement agencies beginning in 2013. Spotlight PA reported that State College Police continued using an earlier definition for several years thereafter, resulting in publicly reported crime statistics that differed from the number of reported incidents meeting the updated definition.
Jan. 6, 2012 Attorney General Eric Holder Announces Revisions to the Uniform Crime Report’s Definition of Rape
The State College Police Department has publicly disputed aspects of the reporting and has stated that any inaccuracies were the result of record-coding issues, were not intentional, and did not affect the priority or thoroughness of sexual-assault investigations. Department officials have also stated that the issue was identified and corrected and that reported cases were investigated using established victim-support and response protocols.
State College Police Department Response to Spotlight PA article
Oct. 14, 2021: The Daily Collegian Something clearly isn’t working’ | Penn State Timely Warning data shows increase in reported sexual violence compared to past
Who May Wish to Speak With an Attorney
You may wish to contact Sauder Schelkopf for a confidential consultation if:
- You reported a rape or sexual assault to the State College Police Department between approximately 2013 and 2021; and
- You later learned, or have reason to believe, that your case may have been classified, recorded, or publicly reported in a manner that did not reflect the nature of the reported offense.
Confidential Consultation
Consultations are confidential and free of charge. Contacting Sauder Schelkopf does not obligate you to pursue a claim.
Notable Achievements:
- University of Southern California (USC) Settlement: The firm, in collaboration with co-counsel, secured a historic $215 million settlement on behalf of female patients of Dr. George Tyndall, a USC gynecologist accused of sexual misconduct since the 1990s. This settlement is among the largest in sex abuse cases and includes provisions for systemic changes in reporting and investigating sexual abuse on campus.
- Ohio State University (OSU) Litigation: Representing former students and athletes, Sauder Schelkopf is involved in litigation concerning sexual misconduct by Dr. Richard Strauss, a former OSU doctor. In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear OSU’s appeal, allowing the case to proceed to trial.
- As of January 2025, Ohio State University has paid approximately $40.9 million to settle lawsuits from 162 men who alleged sexual abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss, a former team doctor.
- In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear OSU’s appeal, allowing lawsuits brought by alleged sexual abuse victims of Dr. Strauss to proceed.
- As of October 2023, five lawsuits involving 236 men remained pending.
- University of Michigan Settlement: The firm achieved a class action settlement against the University of Michigan, resulting in landmark institutional reforms addressing on-campus sexual misconduct.
- Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Lawsuit: Sauder Schelkopf filed a lawsuit against Devereux, alleging sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of children in their care. The firm is seeking compensatory and other damages for the victims.
- Glen Mills Schools Abuse Lawsuit: The firm is representing former students of The Glen Mills Schools, a now-closed detention center, in a class action lawsuit seeking damages for physical and sexual abuse suffered during their time there.
Through these and other cases, Sauder Schelkopf has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to advocating for survivors of sexual abuse, achieving substantial financial settlements, and driving meaningful changes within institutions to prevent future misconduct.
Experience Matters
Sauder Schelkopf has a nationally recognized litigation practice. The firm currently serves as court-appointed lead counsel in courts across the country. The attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf have recovered over $1 billion on behalf of their clients and class members. Our firm was recognized by the Legal Intelligencer’s 2022 Professional Excellence Awards. The Legal Intelligencer’s Professional Excellence Awards honor Pennsylvania law firms and attorneys who have made a significant, positive impact on the legal profession. Our firm was named in the Litigation Departments of the Year (Specialty Area category; runner-up), an award that honors the best litigation practice in a small or mid-sized firm in Pennsylvania. This recognition was based on the firm’s 2021 litigation work and its important ongoing cases. LawDragon has recognized our attorneys in its list of the “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2022. This list notes: “From the opioid epidemic to toxic substances and defective products, truck accidents to wildfires and sexual abuse, these are the lawyers who stand on the front line in individual lawsuits and class actions seeking justice.” Mr. Schelkopf was named to Pennsylvania’s Best Lawyers® 2022 for Class Actions/Mass Tort Litigation. The American Lawyer named Mr. Sauder to its 2021 Northeast Trailblazers. The honor recognizes 60 lawyers who are “truly agents of change.” It “recognizes professionals in the Northeast who have moved the needle in the legal industry.” The Legal Intelligencer named Mr. Sauder and Mr. Schelkopf in its 2020 Pennsylvania Trailblazers list recognizing 31 lawyers who “have taken extra measures to contribute to positive outcomes . . . and who are truly agents of change.” The Legal highlighted the firm’s innovative work on advocacy as class counsel in large institutional sex abuse cover-ups, women’s, and children’s rights. Our attorneys have also consistently been recognized by their peers being named to Pennsylvania SuperLawyer, a distinction held by the top 5% of attorneys in Pennsylvania. The National Trial Lawyers Association has also selected our attorneys as the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania.
We Want to Hear from You
If you or a loved one has experienced sexual misconduct and reported it to the State College Police Department, contact our attorneys confidentially by completing the form on this page. Our firm has a long history of standing up for survivors and holding powerful corporations accountable.