STATE COLLEGE — The NCAA has told Penn State it will examine how school officials handled a child sex abuse scandal that has shocked the campus and cost the school’s former president and coach Joe Paterno their jobs.

NCAA president Mark Emmert sent a letter to Penn State president Rod Erickson saying that the governing body for college sports will look at “Penn State’s exercise of institutional control over its intercollegiate athletics programs” in the case of Jerry Sandusky, the former defensive coordinator accused of 40 counts of child sex abuse.

Penn State released the letter Friday.

Sandusky is accused of abusing eight boys, some on campus, over 15 years, allegations that were not immediately brought to the attention of authorities even though high-level people at Penn State apparently knew about them.

Athletic Director Tim Curley has been placed on administrative leave, and Vice President Gary Schultz, who was in charge of the university’s police department, has retired.

Schultz and Curley are charged with lying to the grand jury and failure to report to police. They maintain their innocence, as does Sandusky.