State College, PA -- Joe Paterno's family said it plans to appeal the NCAA's sanction against Penn State University following the child sex abuse scandal.
The NCAA has responded, saying the sanctions are not subject to appeal.
The NCAA announced a $60 million fine against Penn State last month. It also stripped former head football coach Joe Paterno of 14 seasons of victories. The university's President Rodney Erickson said the school accepted the decision and would not appeal.
The family's lawyer said the sanctions caused "enormous damage" to the entire Penn State community.
The followed an independent investigation, led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, that held Paterno and other top Penn State officials responsible for failing to stop Jerry Sandusky's abuse beginning in 1998.
Paterno's family objected to Freeh's findings and criticized the NCAA and university leadership for accepting the report's conclusions.
A letter from the family's lawyer also argued the NCAA acted hastily and without regard for due process.
The family argues it can appeal because Paterno was named in the consent decree and in the Freeh report.
CNN