STATE COLLEGE — A group of past faculty senate chairs at Penn State is condemning NCAA sanctions levied against the school in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

The 30 current and former faculty members signed the statement that was posted online Tuesday.

The group says sanctions were based largely on the independent report done by ex-FBI director Louis Freeh, which concluded that top university officials concealed information about sexual abuse allegations against Sandusky to avoid bad publicity.

They say the NCAA “used its assertion of collective guilt to justify its collective punishment of the entire university community.” Last month, the NCAA announced sanctions that include a four-year bowl ban and a $60 million fine.

Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant, was convicted in June of abusing 10 boys.

Addressing the criticism Tuesday, Freeh says he stands by his work.

Freeh insists his report wasn’t compromised by his inability to interview key witnesses in the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

The report has also come under fire from ousted school president Graham Spanier and the family of late coach Joe Paterno.

Freeh’s comments come as he announced that his law firm will merge with Pepper Hamilton, a Philadelphia-based firm that helped with the Penn State investigation.

The firms will merge Sept. 1.

Pepper Hamilton is also acquiring the Freeh Group International Solutions, a consulting group that will keep its name.