HOOVER, Ala. — Missouri state representative Sara Lampe, a Springfield Democrat who is currently running for lieutenant governor, released a statement today that is very critical of Missouri coach Gary Pinkel and his comments surrounding the Penn State scandal earlier this week.

Her statement, verbatim:

“University of Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel on Tuesday called the late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno a ‘great football coach’ and a ‘great man.’ Paterno may have been a great coach, but as a man he failed at what mattered – protecting children from a sexual predator.

“As the exhaustive investigation into the Penn State scandal by former FBI Director Louis Freeh proved beyond a shadow of a doubt to all but the most sycophantic of Paterno worshipers, Coach Paterno protected and covered up for a serial child rapist and in doing so enabled him to keep raping children for another decade. A great man never would have done such a foul thing. That a great football coach did should be disturbing to everyone.

“Coach Pinkel’s defense of the indefensible indicates that he holds the same attitude that allowed the reprehensible situation at Penn State to occur; the attitude that building a successful football program is more important than everything else, including protecting innocent children from rapists.”

State Rep. Sara Lampe D-Springfield

You can read our story that contained Pinkel's original comments here.