WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Arne Duncan says allegations of sexual abuse at Penn State University are heartbreaking and make him “extraordinarily angry.”

Duncan tells The Associated Press that if the allegations are proven true, it’s “mind boggling” that it was allowed to go on for so long. He says educators have an “absolute moral, ethical and legal responsibility” to protect youths. If a blind eye is turned, he says it gives an abuser an opportunity to hurt more youths.

Two high-ranking university administrators stepped down after facing charges that they lied to a grand jury investigating former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and failed to properly report suspected child abuse. Sandusky was arrested on charges that he preyed on boys he met through a charity. All three have maintained they are innocent.