Growing up in the Delaware Valley, Joe Paterno was an institution, sort of the area’s college football equivalent of Tom Landry — he was always there, and always will be.
Penn State trustees fired football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier amid the growing furor over how the school handled sex abuse allegations against an assistant coach.
AdvertisementThe massive shakeup Wednesday night came hours after Paterno announced that he planned to retire at the end of his 46th season.
But the outcry following the arrest of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky on molestation charges proved too much for the board to ignore.
Speaking at his house to a couple of dozen students, Paterno said, “Right now, I’m not the football coach. And I’ve got to get used to that. After 61 years, I’ve got to get used to it. I appreciate it. Let me think it through.”
He shook hands with many of the students, some of whom were crying.
Other students were upset. A large crowd descended on the administration building, shouting “We want Joe back!” then headed to Beaver Stadium.
One key question has been why Paterno and other top school officials didn’t go to police in 2002 after being told a graduate assistant saw Sandusky assaulting a boy in a school shower.
Paterno says he should have done more. Spanier has said he was not told the details of the attack.
Sandusky has denied the charges.
Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley will serve as interim coach while Rodney Erickson will be the interim school president.
What an ignominious end — but if the allegations swirling tonight are accurate, what an disgraceful lapse in judgement from a man viewed by many in the Philadelphia area as a benevolent father figure:
While Joe Paterno was not accused of legal wrong doing by the grand jury, advocates for sexual abuse victims have called for charges to be brought against him for not contacting the police himself. On November 7, Pennsylvania state police Commissioner Frank Noonan said that though some may have fulfilled their legal obligation to report suspected abuse, “somebody has to question about what I would consider the moral requirements for a human being that knows of sexual things that are taking place with a child,” and that, “I think you have the moral responsibility, anyone. Not whether you’re a football coach or a university president or the guy sweeping the building. I think you have a moral responsibility to call us.” Further, criticism and condemnation of Penn State leadership and Paterno himself, including calls for his dismissal, followed reports of these arrests for their role in “protecting Penn State’s brand instead of a child”, and allowing Sandusky to retain emeritus status and unfettered access to the university’s football program and facilities despite knowledge of the allegations of sexual abuse. On November 8, 2011 The Patriot-News of Harrisburg published a rare full-page, front-page editorial calling for the immediate resignation of Penn State President Graham Spanier; it also called for this to be Joe Paterno’s last season. The same day, an editorial in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called for the resignations of both Joe Paterno and his assistant coach Mike McQueary.
Beyond Paterno’s firing, Jon Ondrasik of Sports Illustrated writes, “If what we know is what we think we know, Penn State Football should be shuttered. If the NCAA’s standard for the ‘Death Penalty’ is SMU’s covering up of ‘recruiting violations’ how can there every be another game at Happy Valley?”
Update: “Rioting Penn State Students Topple TV Van & Attack Reporter in Wake of Paterno Firing,” The Blaze reports, adding, “Officers used pepper spray to control the crowd. Some students chanted ‘We want Joe! We want Joe!” Others kicked in the windows out of the toppled news van.” Click over for a photo of the toppled, demolished van and much more.
Meanwhile, via Breitbart TV, “Live On CNN: PSU Students Chant ‘F**k The Trustees’ In Wake Of Paterno Ouster.” Great priorities there gang — and exceptionally advanced skill with the English language, to boot:
(H/T: PJT)
My OSU Buckeyes lost Jim Tressel because he covered for players selling a couple jerseys… what did they expect at PS
Paterno had plenty of warnings here, didn’t do the right thing it seems
Get over it, Penn St- a luxury the victims will never enjoy
If I understand it correctly, JoPa did in fact notify the Penn State hierarchy concerning Sandusky’s actions. Penn State’s upper echelons did NOTHING. So why is JoPa being fired? Sounds more like the old man is being made a scapegoat to me while those who were in a better position to do something are going scot-free. That’s wrong and it should be rectified.
Why is everyone worked into a lather on a homosexual escapade? After all, this administration called Obama wants gays to be married, join the military, and teach 6 and 7 year children that there is nothing wrong with having sex with the same gender.
THank you God, for making me old and not too many more years to exist in this climate that has developed.
What we know now is Penn State students are a-ok with facilitating child rape.
Special privilege to high ranking members of the party.
As a Penn State alumni (BS Math ’87) I have always been proud of the education I received.
However, as a married student in my 30s, I was appalled at the football culture that otherwise pervaded the school.
“JoePa” was already a legend when my siblings graduated from Penn State in the 1970s, and had reached demigod status by the time I attended. JoePa was beyond criticism, and no one could say anything negative about the Football program, even when it was reported that various star football players could not pass their rather light college course loads without pressure on their professors and extensive help.
The reports of “Rioting Penn State Students” toppling vans and lightposts is actually a description of normal fan behavior following home games. We stayed at home on those weekends, as it was just too dangerous to venture out on home game weekends. And, like I said, this was in the 1980s. Some things never change, especially when the university itself has no desire to fix problems.
Which comes back to good old “JoePa”. I don’t agree with those who say he kept quiet in order to protect his reputation. He had already attained a status that was beyond reproach and had nothing personally to lose, as far as reputation, by reporting the crime. In fact, it would have only further strengthened is already rarefied status.
But it would have seriously hurt the football program that was his baby. And winning games and the corresponding championships and cash in-flow was more important than the rape of 10 year old boys.
And that is what the “students” (i.e. the football fans) are rioting about now. They don’t give a ratsass about any kids who were raped. All they care about is winning their football games and having their drunken weekend orgies.
Perhaps it will be good if the end result of this is that the administration wakes up and realizes the school is not enhanced by its reputation as a Football and Party school. There are way too many distinguished and qualified professors and students in programs such as Math, Comp Sci, and the other various Science departments to allow the university to be tied to such an abominable reputation for so many decades.
But there should be a cold jail cell waiting JoePa, along with his cohorts in crime. This wasn’t a case of student cheating, where all that would be ethically required would be to report to his superiors. This was one of the worst crimes imaginable, reported to him by an eye witness. There is no question that he and the witness were both obligated to report the crime directly to police, on top of whatever administrative formalities he was required to follow within the university.
Read the grand jury report about Sandusky and you will see why Paterno and Spanier were fired. They are lucky that they haven’t being charged as accessories after the fact. Sandusky is going to have fun in prison. I hear pedophiles get extra attention from their fellow prisoners. And a homosexual pedophile?
This illegal and disgusting behavior has at least EIGHT victims. There is no excuse which will justify Paterno’s behavior. Paterno enabled this sick behavior to continue by ignoring the situation. Good riddance, JoePa.
Full disclosure: I graduated from Penn State’s University Park campus several decades ago, and I thought—back then–that it was a very decent and solid school and that people had good, solid values, and had their heads screwed on straight. That just goes to show you how naïve I was then for, in Happy Valley, Football (and the 16-wheelers of money it brings in) obviously trumps everything else; it is a joy that has metamorphosized into a sickness.
The included videos speak for themselves; a troop of screaming, brainless monkeys—who obviously like to scream and shout, curse, and bust things up, giving no thought at all to the children whose molestation was covered up and enabled by McCreary, Paterno, Curley, Schultz, Spanier and who knows else. Obviously, Penn State is teaching these kids the wrong values or, perhaps, no values at all. I would be much more reassured if, instead of mindless chanting and overturning news vans, they had held some sort of vigil (stupid and unproductive as I find those vigils) for the children who were molested. At least, then, I would have some reassurance that their hearts were in the right place.
Reading coverage of this mess, it almost seems like a made for TV crime story; I almost expect Jesse Stone to show up to handle the case.
What to make, for instance, of the fact that the witness to the 2002 rape, Mike McCreary–who told Paterno about the rape but never reported it to the police–was subsequently promoted to become Paterno’s assistant coach?
What to make, for instance, of the fact that Ray Gricar–the Centre County DA who declared in 1998 that there were to be no criminal charges filed against Assistant Coach Sandusky after a 1995 investigation into allegations of Sandusky molesting children–subsequently disappeared off the face of the earth in 2005 under mysterious circumstances? Gricar was declared legally dead this July.
HELL! This Son of a Beech needs to be in jail.
Lock his pedophile enabling ass up and let him run naked in general lock up.
You know…this really pisses me off. I’m with the kids overturning the news van.
A “lion of the Senate” can murder a young girl by driving drunk off a bridge, a President can serially molest women, a gay Congressman can run a prostitution ring out of his basement…but the dirty clockstuffers in the media will take an octogenarian football legend and run him into the ground for not doing MORE reporting of someone he knows than he did.
In what parallel universe are these things morally equivalent. Joe Paterno didn’t do a DAMN THING himself that was a crime. He reported it to his superiors and then went back about his business.
How many of these dirty bastards in the media have covered up MUCH worse crimes, including treason against this country, corruption, graft, manslaughter, prostitution and murder?
They have no moral high ground here. Let them rat out ALL their friends for ALL their serial crimes…and THEN come back and force Joe Paterno out in disgrace.
Let them discuss the rapes in Zucotti, the Mary Jo coverup, the Barney Frank and Bill Clinton participation, knowledge and lack of truthful reporting…and then…and only then..can we begin to talk about Joe Paterno.
I didn’t go to Penn State. I have no involvement with them or their program.
Sandusky needs to be dealt with, swiftly and harshly. But the hypocrisy of the high priests of conspiratorial coverups need not apply as the judges in this matter. They all can go straight to hell. When they stop their co-conspiracies and coverups, admit them all…their penance will have been served. Until then…they can STFU>
Ignore child rape til all past wrongs are righted and brought up to the level of your sense of order in the world?
Good plan. One guy gets away with a bank robbery, decriminalize bank robbery.
Jane Air -
It appears you have no clue as to what happened, let me give you a little more information. JoePa did not witness the event (or any other) that is now at the center of the fury, McQuery did (who is now the head-coach now that JoePa was fired) and reported it to JoePa. JoePa then reported it to his superiors, the President of the College and the head of the Campus Police (who have almost all of the powers of all other Police departments). Both the President and the Campus Police head covered up, or failed to follow through on an investigation. Although Sandusky was a coach on the team, by the time that the incident was reported to JoePa, Sandusky had retired from the staff and therefor JoePa had no direct authority over him. Again could have JoePa done more? Sure, he could have called the city Police, State Police, FBI, CIA, President of the US, President of Russia, God… He did what he thought would get action, unfortunately those he relied on failed in their duty, not JoePa.
My short post implies none of which you are going on about so I’m not sure what exactly it is you’re responding to.
However, when dispensing advice about clues, one should buy one for oneself because McQuery is not the head coach. If you don’t know what’s happening today which is front and center, how could you possibly lecture anyone about what Paterno did or did not know years ago?
Jane Air -
Oh noes, I incorrectly stated the McQuery is the head-coach, hes only one of the assistant coashes still (though now on admisitrative leave). That MUST make everything incorrect…yet it doesnt.
You stated “Ignore child rape til all past wrongs are righted and brought up to the level of your sense of order in the world?” And of course you being OMNIPOTENT you KNOW that it was ignored. Are you that stupid? Or are you too hyped up on your Moral Outrage Hard-on? Of course they MUST have ignored it. Or maybe they believe in Constitutional Rights (oops, forgot about those huh?), like “innocent until proven guilty” (oh, I guess that should be ignored, huh?). And as has been shown, the Police dismissed charges on Sandusky for the 1998 incident. And of course it is Joe Paterno’s sole duty to persue accusations, unlike McQuery, the Athletic Director, Vice President, President, or Police.
You state “Good plan. One guy gets away with a bank robbery, decriminalize bank robbery.” And has what Sandusky done been “decriminalized”? No? Has he even been CONVICTED of anything he is accused of? NO?!? Had his day in court? No? But we all know he will be guilty, like we all know OJ Simpson was guilty of murder, or Casey Anthony was guilty of murder. What? They were found not guilty? Ruh-roh. I guess the Justice System isnt as straight forward as screaming “Guilty” on the streets.
Before you attempt to try to dismiss something (or apply guilty) try to read and think the whole thing through. Next time you might not look so hypocritical and stupid.
Another PC over reaction. He’s taking one for the School.
Remember when a Columbia University professor was charged with incest, and many Columbia students were surprised and disappointed that this was illegal? A culture where the academy believes that all forms of sex are equally valid (including raping ten year olds) is successfully replicating itself.
And to the rioting students, grow up.
This is a great tragedy, the fall of a titan. Coach Paterno changed American football, both at the college level and the pros. Unlike many, he did it with the highest standards of personal conduct. He was a living example of how to conduct yourself, both on, and off the field.
But he apparently (we know only some facts) stumbled on the exact same flaw, that caused many of our current scandals, from Solyndra to Fast and Furious, to the Catholic priest pedophile disaster. In each case, some powerless innocent was sacrificed in order to protect the institution: a football power house, a “green” company, the DoJ, or the clergy. In each case the bosses covered up crimes (we must say allegedly without convictions), or incredibly evil judgments.
Why do good people leave their integrity in the parking lot? Why do bosses buckle so badly in a test of will power? If this is the way it is, if this is just life, then Penn State has no reason to exist. They take money, to form young personalities, by fraud. Ditto our taxes, and the Sunday collection plate.
We are losing badly, deep in the last quarter. It is gut check time, in happy valley, in church, and in America.
Well there is some problems with how things are being “framed”. Joe Paterno did what was required of him (remember Sandusky was NOT on the staff at the time when it was reported to JoePa and JoePa had no authority over him), he reported it to his superiors. Could he have reported it to the Police, yes. Would it have done any good? Evidently not. Neither the person who witnessed the incident (who is now the interim head-coach), nor his father who was also informed, informed the Police. And here is the real kicker, the POLICE who had caught Sandusky in inappropriate behavior in 1998 did NOTHING until now! It seems like everyone wants to put this on JoePa’s shoulders as if he is some kind of Sheriff who should have taken out his six-shooter and dealt “western justice”. When the Police take 12 years to actually persue charges its tough to hold JoePa to a higher standard.
Yes, he should have called the police if he heard that one of his assistants was molesting a young boy. (I’m mystified that he could REFRAIN from calling the police!)
Of course, Planned Parenthood should call the police if an underage girl comes to them pregnant, but they get away with being accessories to that crime for some reason.
Kaiser Wilhelm the First once said “It is not easy being Emperor under a Chancellor like Bismarck.”
Joe Paterno’s defenders, including all the students, seem to be ignoring this point. Paterno was technically just another university employee, with several superiors, but in reality, he answered to no one. He could have made sure that Sandusky was completely exiled from Penn State. He could have made sure that the shower incident was not ignored. His coaching career is ending at least 9 years too late.
McQueary’s career should also be over. In the past 9 years, did it never occur to McQueary (or Paterno) to ask “Why is Jerry Sandusky still a free man? Why is he still allowed on campus?”
Paterno’s defenders are saying that he and McQueary followed proper procedures. True, but the procedures for reporting abuse are based on one very important assumption: Most incidents of abuse have no witnesses. Instead, most child abuse allegations arise after the fact, based on suspicion. Under those circumstances, it is assumed that careful, professional investigation is required and that unsubstantiated allegations will do more harm than good. Apparently, McQueary and Paterno didn’t know what to do because they were never explicitly told “If you see child abuse in progress, try to stop it and call the police.”
It was both stunning and sickening to watch the head of PSU’s board of trustees explain that a full investigation of this terrible situation would be forthcomning, but to then announce that – ahead of an investigative committee even being formed – the judgment was that Joe Paterno was summarily dismissed. The facts of the Sandusky actions, if proven, are horrible and all those guilty, legally or morally, should be dealt with accordingly. But this is university political correctness at its full-blown, all too typical, lunatic worst. Do the trustees – and those howling in the media, for that matter – think for a moment that their hindsight takes into consideration all the elements of Mr Paterno’s actions; actions which by the prosecutor’s reckoning were in line with what he was bound to take by the university’s own rules? If Mr Paterno had immediately gone to the police or the FBI on the unsubstantiated word of a university student, and the allegations of that student turned out to be incorrect, what would have happened to Mr Paterno – and the school – at that point? And, if everyone is so certain that the ethical thing to do would have been to violate the university’s protocol, why aren’t those same people demanding that the entire school lose its accredidation, as it obviously created rules and regulations about this sort of situation which were unethical and immoral? I have never been on the side of student demonstrators, from the earliest days of sit-ins at Columbia. In this case, I’m with the students.
I am a teacher, and the rules in regards to reporting child abuse is quite clear. If you suspect abuse, you notify the authorities, period. The person who witnessed the event should have been directed to contact child protective services and file a report.
For those who say that if he had leveled a false allegation he could have suffer repercussions, I know the reporter of an incident is immune from prosecution so long as the report was made as a result of a genuine concern for the child. In fact, the person is legally obligated to report the incident and could face legal action for not reporting it.
I had a situation in which a student told me she/he was being abused. Part of me wondered if the kid was full of it. I asked the school counselor for advice and was informed that it was my legal responsibility to report the incident and let the investigation run its course. Furthermore, my identity was protected and I would remain anonymous until the time came for me to testify in a court of law. When it came out that the accusations were fabricated, my name was never brought up.
Joe should have been released. He was morally and legally obligated to report what he knew to the authorities. Furthermore, he is in the position of being a role model. For all of his accomplishments and good deeds as a coach, his team deserves a better role model. I wonder how the students would feel if it was their little brother who was a victim?
“Joe should have been released. He was morally and legally obligated to report what he knew to the authorities.”
Eli, that is what Paterno did, he passed the allegation along to his bosses. The problem for lots of people is that Paterno did not press the issue with his bosses as to the status of the investigation and did not investigate on his own, like confronting Sandusky with the charges, and so on. Considering that his bosses seem to have done little then Paterno, in hindsite, was wrong to be so passive and trusting of his bosses and the system.
Good grief folks, this is not “Daily Kos” get the facts, get them straight and then make your arguments.
Rifle,
As a state employee, Paterno would be considered a mandatory reporter. This lmandates that a public employee report to the authorities what he suspects. He is not allowed to pass it up to his bosses. He is ultimately responsible for protecting the minor. The first person responsible was the graduate assistant who actually saw what happened. He should not have sent it up to his bosses, but reported directly to child protective services. In fact, his bosses should have instructed him to contact CPS and provided him with the information to do so. When Paterno had the information, he then had the responsibility to report what he knew. He was suspicious enough, to ban his assistant from bringing kids to the PSU facility again. What he was legally and morally obligated to do is report what he knew to protect children from a pedophile.
As the story unfolds, it become more clear that their was some kind of cover up going on. I hope there is an investigation and every person dropped the ball have to face the music.
You tell me to check my facts. I say read more closely. I did not dispute the fact that he passed it up to his bosses. I am saying that passing it up was not enough. He was legally and morally obligated to do more.
One last thought, where is Sandusky in all of this?
I’m an Ohio State grad myself and think Tressel and the university were screwed by the NCAA.
But I think Paterno’s dilemma here is not nearly as clear-cut as it’s being made out to be.
http://no-boxes-allowed.blogspot.com/2011/11/in-defense-of-joe-paterno.html
Thanks for the link, the essay was very balanced, and not hysterical. Everyone doing the beast beating about what Paterno should have done should read it. He decided to let the system work and went along with its actions. If the system did nothing then he could rationally, if foolishly, assume an investigation showed nothing. He is/was an old man, not some law enforcement Rambo/vigilante. It was not really his job to do any investigation, that was the responsibility of his bosses. Saying he had lots of influence does not mean he could have pushed the investigation foreward, he is not some “god”. He COULD have been hoping that the whole thing was not what it appeared, and so when the system did not then quickly result in a criminal charge told himself that his hopes were true it was all just a mistake. The whole reaction of “That just cannot be true of old so-and-so, and not here at this place I work/live!” is very common about all kinds of crime. Denial can come easy. Paterno pasted on the allegation as he should have, to demand more is to require superhero status of him. He is a football coach, not Sherlock Holmes.
I bet that if Paterno had not been fired, the same group of rioters would have shown up chanting “Joe Must Go!”
No, that would have been the surviving victims (those that didn’t commit suicide) and their families. And me.
It was 55F and dry in State College last night when the crowds started forming. 15 degrees colder and spitting rain, and the whole “protest” would have taken place on Twitter.
(When I was at Iowa State, the undergrads held a mini-riot one night after spring break because it was Thursday, the first day all semester the temperature topped 60. They marched between dorm clusters chanting obscenities about the U of Iowa and tossed some garbage in the lake. Since “everyone who successfully leaves high school” is now expected to go to college whether they possess the ability to do intellectual work or not, I don’t understand why people expect “college students” to be any more serious or scholastic than any randomly-selected crowd of mallrats. Seriously.)
So let me get this straight.
Three years after the departure of Mr. Sandusky, a player-coach comes up to Joe Paterno and tells him that he saw Sandusky naked in a shower with a 10 year old boy at some point before Sandusky left. Joe tells the Athletic DIrector about what he heard from the guy, what he heard being second hand or hearsay, and it’s Joe Paterno’s fault.
What happened to the guy who actually witnessed the event? Where is the outrage over the fact that the single eye witness didn’t go to the legal authroties in the matter? WTF did the guy do AT THE TIME? He left the kid in there with the pedophile, right?
Is anyone suggesting that Paterno knew about this predatory SOB before the “witness” told him his story? Is there a suggestion that Paterno has a legal obligation to report his hearsay to the police as fact?
Defense Layer: “Mr. Paterno, did you see my client naked in a shower with a ten year old child?”
Paterno: “No. I did not”
Defense Lawyer: “How did you come by the information that my client engaged in this alleged act?”
Paterno: “One of my coaching staff, three years after Mr. Sandusky retired, told me about it.”
Defense Lawyer: “Your honor, move to strike all testimony from this witness as inadmissable hearsay”
Judge: “Motion granted. Members of the jury, you will disregard the testimony you just heard from this witness.”
Now its 8 years (11 years since he departed the football program) later and Sandusky is only now being brought up on this?
I’m sure we have more detailed coverage here in PA. Let me set you straight on some facts. In 1998 Sandusky a mother of a victim went to the police. The DA declined to press charges, however Sandusky apologized for taking a shower with the child…never admitted to abusing the poor kid. The DA covered for him. In 1999, Sandusky conveniently “retires”. He is given keys to the facilities, a free parking pass and told not to bring any more kids with him. In 2002, we have a 28 or 29 year old EYEWITNESS to rape. The witness does not intervene to see if the child is OK. Leaves and calls his father and asks what to do. Dad says tell Paterno. Paterno is told the following day. Paterno tells the Athletic Dir. the NEXT day. 2 days pass without any concern for child’s welfare. AD tells a VP and then one of them talks to EYEWITNESS a week later. NOBODY reports incident to child protective services or the police. Then the AG and VP lie to a grand jury about what they were told by Paterno and the witness. Sandusky was permitted on campus as an Emeritus professor with all the perks during the 2-year investigation and was there as recently as 2 weeks ago. No concern for the children. No concern for the young men on the football team, who, despite their being older than 10, like the rape victim, were still vulnerable to a rapist with power over their football futures. Too bad Sandusky got bail. Oh, and Penn State is paying for lawyers for the AD and VP since it happened during the course of their employment. The only honorable, decent man in any of this was PA’s then-Atty General, now Governor Tom Corbett. Zero tolerance for protecting criminals, no matter who you are, or how much power you have… He’s also the one who pushed for the firings. After the lame-arse statement given by the college president in support of the perjurers, he had to be fired. He wasn’t charged criminally but after his press release supporting the perjurers/enablers, but firing was well-deserved.
More salacious “news” and personal vilification by the CMA (Communist Media of America). They won’t be satisfied until they have published the bathroom habits of every high level/high profile American that hints of any Conservatism.
JoPa relays second hand information to his superiors, who are supposed to notify the proper authorities to investigate the veracity of the statements and actions, and now he gets assassinated by the CMA; Good job, scum bags.
The CMA eagerly flaunts their ignorance by elevating a dunce to become President of the USA, rather than show respect for a person that has become a living legend and has dedicated his life to fostering the lives of a multitude of responsible and respectable college students.
Having to witness the personal vilification of so many outstanding American patriots and icons, by the maggot infested media, is sickening, and leaves me ambivalent about what they deserve.
I’d love to see the CMA fall victim to their own personal vilification, physical pain and torture by a government that considers the CMA has offended it. Falling victim to what they have espoused for so many years, would be sweet justice. But, I, myself, do not ever want to have to experience that type of government control in my life.
This lecherous media cannot get enough salacious details to satisfy their deepest desires, and has to conjure up more images and lascivious phrases to sell their merchandise.
Hindsight is 20/20. JoPa could have followed up on the allegations with the administration. But, keeping this kind of accusation within the most trusted ranks of the administration, is only prudent. Politics can be vicious, and these comments could have been meant as derision for the sake of personal assassination. Keeping the accusations “in house” until an investigation could bear out the reliability of the information, is SOP in most established institutions. When he heard no more of the accusations, he may have determined it was handled discreetly, and a satisfactory resolution was reached by the parties involved.
But, leave it to the CMA to rape the individuals involved and completely remove any semblance of innocence they have ever had. I have to wonder how this CMA can live and function in such a psychotic state?
“When he heard no more of the accusations, he may have determined it was handled discreetly, and a satisfactory resolution was reached by the parties involved.” That is just idiotic. We are not talking about workplace sexual harassment or unfounded suspicions that could have been subject to misinterpretation. McQueary claims he witnessed the rape of a child. What “satisfactory resolution” leaves Sandusky a free man? Paterno does not dispute that McQueary told him something, but Paterno claim he didn’t know all the details. If McQueary told Paterno anything at all, why would Paterno not have asked him for details? Was the story so familiar that Paterno assumed he didn’t need details?
I am not arguing that Paterno should be subject to criminal sanctions. I am arguing that he absolutely needed to be fired. The administration tried to get him to retire in 2004. Paterno believed that he was so important that he should get to be “head coach” as long as he wanted. Well Joe, if that is the authority you want to claim, you can’t use it to cover up for pedophile friends.
I bow to your obvious clairvoyance. You seem to know, without doubt, that these details are all true. Do tell us more.
The Attorney General at the time was a Republican. He is now governor of PA. The current AG is a Republican. This is not political. It was an ongoing crime, which Penn State officials ignored. They enabled this man for years. The number of victims is up to about 20 now. Think about a young boy you know. Now think about him being involved in a non-profit organization run by an important coach at PSU (Sandusky) who takes him to games, gives gifts, takes him on trips. And then rapes him repeatedly. An assistant coach sees this and tells Paterno. Paterno waits a day to call the AD. He tells another official and then nothing is done. Remember there were allegations in 1998. In 2002 it happens and there is no question that it happened and they allowed him to remain as Emeritus Professor, hang around the locker rooms and keep his non-profit organization which gave him continued access to boys and he raped them in the high school and his home. No criminal charges for Paterno and McQueary but how in God’s name could they let this vile man run around campus and hang out with young boys?????????????
Indeed, there are many culpable individuals involved in this, and they should be afforded no mercy for their negligence. But, JoePa is not one of them.
The person who witnessed the actual abuse at the time it happened is at fault. In a big macho football culture, I can’t believe he didn’t have the instinctive urge to beat the snot out of the offender right then and there. Or at least tackle him, LOL. Even if he hadn’t wanted to take matters into his own hand, law enforcement should have been contacted immediately. I just don’t see how anyone could stand by and let sexual abuse of a child happen, regardless of their political position in the university. This whole incident just makes me sick.
I’m pretty much a Libertarian, that consenting activities among adults should be their own business not ours. Too often we try and force our morals on others, but there are some very real bright lines. One of these is sex with minors, in particular with pre-teens. I am also straight that is repulsed by openly gay behavior. The Catholic Church scandals just made me revulsed, it also nearly destroyed that institution. As a parent today, would you ever let your young child be alone with a priest – no way.
So Paterno and Penn State knew of the 98 incident with Sandusky, but allowed him access to the training table, games, and bowl games with boys in tow. Shouldn’t lots of Bells and Alarms go off. Shouldn’t Bells and Whistles have been heard at the charity. Shouldn’t his wife come forward. What happened to the “appearance of impropriety” so often used to keep programs clean.
I fear that this will get much worse before things get better, the PSU school will possibly never recover. There will be lawsuits with lots of details emerging and a bunch of settlements in the $1M and up against PSU.
Meanwhile, the libs have forced the Boy Scouts to accept gays and are being pushed to have gay adults be able to serve. Isn’t that just a recipe for disaster like this.
Mr. Galt (“pretty much a libertarian” with a name like that
?) please don’t pin this on gays. There is zero evidence that Sandusky was a homosexual and gays do not commit acts of pedophilia at a higher rate than the general population. And BSA has some of the strongest protections for the minors in their care, making acts of pedophilia extremely difficult if not impossible. Please do not use this scandal to advance your anti-gay views.
Paterno was fired as should happen to anyone who does not appropriately report a criminal act. No “libertarian” spin is possible with this one unless you want to throw in with the child molesters.
Male on male sex, by definition, is homosexual. One third of molested children are male. At least, as males tend to under report. Two percent of the population that is homosexual ,commit thirty percent of the homosexual pedophile crimes. Homosexual males are about 30 percent more likely to engage in sex with children than the general population. You were lied to by your professors ,and you were not smart enough to question them. Shame on you.
Moral compass…looks like Joe P. lost his. Yep, He went to his superiors. Can one imagine what that conversation was like?
Joe: We’ve got an issue of “horseplay” in the complex showers.
Higher up: Is it serious?
Joe: Appears to be, was with some of the other squad members.
Higher Up: Any staff involvement?
Joe: Maybe, seems one either saw it or was present when it happened.
Higher Up: Is it something that you can handle?
Joe: Yep, sure, I’ll take care of it.
End of story. Ruined lives, a sexual predator was turned loose on Penn State campus and Joe P. didn’t even think twice about what he had done. “Play Ball!”
RE: Pedophile State University. The rioting students and the brainless, amoral sports fan mentality have much in common with Islam. Child rape? Not a problem. Mess with my tribe? There’ll will be riots.
Why is anyone surprised by this? This is the generation whose first memories are of the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewisky scandal. The message has been clear to them from day one: Predatory sexual behavior (or for that manner, any criminal behavior such as OWS) is okay if you are cool. Not only is it okay, but they have a duty to defend The Cool Ones from the uncool by any means necessary.
Go on any liberal site and you will see both Bill Clinton and Roman Polansky excused (with a few caviats of course) Yet, in practically the same post, they will rip their clothes in anguish over the same behavior by priests or a Republican candidate. Acorn employees filmed facilitating the horror of procuring 14 year old mexican girls for brothels in San Diego was nothing more than a big yawner to be excused away.
They are just responding in the manner that they were raised. You reap what you sow.
Well, with this riot at least we get a reiteration of why college sports are allowed to continue as the non-academic, corrupt exercise they are–because too many people like seeing games more than they like principles. So in that sense, being shocked at finding malfeasance in a collegiate athletic department is a proverbial Claude Rains moment. There are simply too many internal and external motivators at a major college towards having a winning program and not enough motivators towards saying “this much emphasis and no more”, so it was only a matter of time before something more egregious than NCAA violations happened, somewhere. (As a caveat, violating NCAA rules and violating ethical principles (or the law) are usually two different things).
Having said that, I see no reason to shutter the program. I would move it to Div II or III and allow the students to keep their scholarships (if financially possible, which it probably wouldn’t be if they did something like going to Div III. I would give the students in-state tuition instead, if they are out of state). Heck, let it stay at Division I and let the students coach themselves. This is because I believe the only reason for a student activity is because it somehow furthers the education of the student. No reason the students can’t play–and it would be a true collegiate sport, vice something that is a Potemkin village called “Corinthian Spirit”
Finally, a nation that never finally draws a line on things that are questionable just because it finds it difficult to do so emotionally is a nation not long destined for anything great. The world has had, currently has, and will continue to have *more* than enough countries that only honor virtue in the breach; that either have reached steady-state compromise with corruption or never had anything but. While America has never been perfect, we were a land where I think the gap between what we said we believed and what we actually did was the smallest of almost any land throughout time. I’m sorry to say we have probably moved into that other side of the column, and we should not be surprised if our performance starts reflecting that. All of America is becoming Claude Rains land, where we have no conviction, and blow with the wind, trying to get by as best as we can–especially if we enjoy it along the way.
Perhaps Sandusky can flee to Europe to join Polanski, act in a few movies, and be forgiven by Hollywood. It’s worked before. EUropeans are so much more nuanced and sophisticated about these things.
Ethical Lapses at PSU, Ethical Void in D.C.
A course in ethics was a requisite for a B.A. at Fordham University in the 1960′s and I have to confess I probably semi-slept through it.
It’s apparent that Ethics 101 either wasn’t required at Penn State University or that Nittany Lions coaches also slept through it. Meanwhile, in Washington, President Barack Hussein Obama has made such a farce of ethics in the federal government it’s hard to believe he understands the meaning of the word.
Ethics was a tough subject although its essence can be reduced to the study of moral principles and their applicability to rules of conduct.
Dictionary.com provides a more detailed definition: “That branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.”
In turn, that definition can be summarized to doing the right thing just because it is the right thing to do.
Many wrongs are associated with recently-publicized events at PSU. Some may be termed ethical lapses of omission. They include Coach Joe Paterno’s failure to notify law enforcement authorities, university administrators covering up perfidious behavior, and Coach Mike McQueary’s grossly negligence in not interceding on behalf of a 10 year old boy being raped in a school shower room.
The most profound ethical failures committed have been attributed to Coach Jerry Sandusky, illegalities and moral tupitude which allegedly continued for some 15 years, from his initial molestations of young boys to McQueary’s witnessing Sandusky violating the ten year old.
Both Sandusky and McQueary are Penn State graduates but so too are the other 557,000 alumni of that immense and still great school. A few rotten apples can spoil a barrelful but a handful can’t spoil an outstanding university. Now that they have been exposed, they will be prosecuted and victims will be compensated even if that compensation can never wipe clear the memories of what they suffered.
Similarly, an unethical American president can stink up the White House but he can’t spoil a nation.
Obama and the administration he leads have been caught in numerous ethical breaches but, thanks to his mainstream media and stonewalling lackeys, so far they have gotten away with such breaches and only time will tell whether they ultimately ”come home to roost,” to quote his pastor of 20 years. . .
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=5954.)