As many wondered if Penn State would take down the famous Joe Paterno in the wake of the Freeh report, Kimberly Jones of NFL Network is reporting the statue will be removed this weekend.

Am told that Penn State plans to take down the Paterno statue this weekend. — Kimberly Jones (@KimJonesSports) July 20, 2012

While some were split on whether or not Penn State should remove the statue, others publicly made their feelings known. Earlier this week, a plane carrying a banner that read "Take down the statue, or we will," flew over Happy Valley.

We will have more on this story as it develops.

UPDATE: According to Bonnie Bernstein, Penn State trustees voted on the decision to remove the statue on a conference call last night.

Source: Penn State Board of Trustees voted on a conference call last night to take down Joe Paterno statue. Will happen this wknd. — Bonnie Bernstein (@BonnieBernstein) July 20, 2012

UPDATE: In a story that came out late last night, Steve Garban became the first member of Penn State's board of trustees to resign in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal. Garban was highly criticized in the wake of the scandal for his handling of the situation. Per Sports Illustrated:

Steve Garban said in a letter his presence on the board had become "a distraction and an impediment'' to its efforts to move forward. Garban, who had stepped down as board chairman after Sandusky's November arrest but had remained a board member, was harshly criticized over his handling of the crisis that engulfed Penn State, and he faced persistent calls from alumni and fellow board members to resign. An internal investigation by former FBI Director Louis Freeh found that Garban was briefed twice about developments in the Sandusky case but didn't share what he knew with the entire board, depriving trustees of a chance to prepare for the worst crisis in Penn State's 157-year history.

It is not known at this time whether Garban resigned before or after the conference call vote that decided the fate of the Paterno statue.

UPDATE: There is now a conflicting report coming out regarding a reported vote conducted by the Penn State board of trustees to remove the Joe Paterno statue. Laura Olson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted that she spoke with a trustee member who denied a decision regarding the statue has been made.

Re: JoePa statue, PSU trustee Anthony Lubrano says no BOT vote on removal. Final decision will be by administration, not trustees, he says. — Laura Olson (@lauraolson) July 20, 2012 Lubrano also said #PSU administration has asked for input on JoePa statue decision. Not aware of any final decision being made yet. — Laura Olson (@lauraolson) July 20, 2012

You'll recall Lubrano was elected to the Penn State board of trustees July 1 and made these comments defending Paterno and Penn State football.

Via SI Tracking Blog

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