If Penn State's Joe Paterno knew about the sexual abuse and didn't report it - he needs to resign

[LynneSin]

Been reading about this scandal about the former Penn State Coach who back in 2002 was seen sexually abusing an underage boy. Thing is this - the person who saw it, a grad student, reported it back in 2002 what he saw and it seems that no one bothered to do anything about it. And the Coach (well he's an ex-coach) continued to host football camps around Pennsylvania that kept him in close contact with more underage kids.

When it comes to sexual abuse of underage kids, you don't sweep that shit under the carpet - you find out what's happening.

Shame on those who knew what had happened and ignored it all these years!

For those who don't know what happened:

http://www.pennlive.com/jerry-sandusky/

[tularetom]

1. If it works for the Pope

Why blame poor ol Joe?

:sarcasm:

[progressoid]

25. That would make Joe the Pope of Penn State.

[OneGrassRoot]

2. There's a lot of unknowns still, but....

I absolutely agree that if Paterno only reported it to school admins, as reported, and didn't follow up on his own to make sure it was reported to the police, AND continued to allow Sandusky on campus, especially with young boys (!), he's done, or needs to be.

The whole thing is nauseating. I think this may open the door to exposing similar situations in many youth-oriented organizations, mirroring the Catholic Church. Of course it's sad that it may cast a shadow of doubt on organizations that have nothing negative or harmful going on at all, but if this spotlight is what is needed to stop child sexual abuse, I say let the sunshine in.

It's all so horrific and sickening. It seems the student body is really up in arms (as they should be). It's going to be interesting...

:puke:

:cry:

[hedgehog]

3. It's an illustration that when you have an organization that emphasizes

obedience to authority above all else, people tend to pass the buck upwards and the guy at the top tends to place the reputation of the organization above all else. Also, the guy at the top believes that he is in control, that if he wants something hidden, it's going to stay hidden.

I'm a catholic, and at this point any parent who calls the bishop before they call the cops is culpable for whatever happens, IMO.

[ensho]

4. he should be charged too, as an accessory to the crime

nt

[joeybee12]

5. He reported it to school admins...he knew...he needs to go...

Not sure why he isn't being charged since it has to be reported to the police and he just simply passed it off to the school admins.

[ensho]

6. the people he gave the info to should also be charged

they did nothing

[fishwax]

22. they have been charged, both with failure to report and with perjury

[LuvNewcastle]

7. Why didn't the grad student report it to the cops?

If I saw someone molesting a child, I would call the police immediately. I would also try to stop it from going further if I felt I could do so without harming the child and/or letting the perp get away. I mean, if you see a murder going down, do you let it happen, walk away, and tell the murderer's boss about it the next day? This makes no sense to me.

[OneGrassRoot]

8. That's what many are asking. If he/she saw the act itself taking place...

it's hard for me to understand why he/she wouldn't call the police and intercede directly. We may never get an answer to this.

Actually, I assume it was a he since it took place in the boys locker room.

[Fumesucker]

11. It is curious..

"Curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare". -Mark Twain

It wasn't physical courage that was lacking, it was moral courage, think about the Milgram experiment and the fact that a large majority of people will torture someone to death if they are told to do so by an authority figure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment

Sandusky was an authority figure, if that had been some random stranger doing the same act I suspect the GA would almost certainly have acted quite differently.

We are programmed from birth to respect authority figures, it's hard to override that training when faced with an authority figure doing something abhorrent.

[LuvNewcastle]

17. That's very true.

There are different rules for famous people than for the rest of us. Even those of us who know it's wrong still get caught up in the trappings of authority and fame. It's that passivity that allows evil to flourish in this world. I wish there was a lot less of it.

[LynneSin]

15. I've wondered about that too and here's my thoughts about that...

The student probably knew of the impact of going to the cops and felt it was best to let the school know first of what happened. I'm sure there was some thought in the student's head that it was best that the powers-to-be at Penn State knew what was happening before we go to the cops. And I'm guessing that the powers-to-be at Penn State told the grad student they would deal with it themselves.

Ironically that student is now the Wide Receiver coach at Penn State. Makes you wonder if that was part of the deal to keep the kid silent.

[LuvNewcastle]

18. Wow, that looks really bad!

What the hell is going on up there?

[fishwax]

23. and how could the grad student stay on staff for nine years knowing that nothing was done

I really can't imagine that.

[fishwax]

24. I can actually understand his behavior initially

We don't really know whether he interceded or what happened immediately after he saw this happen. According to the grand jury report, both Sandusky and his victim saw the GA standing there, and perhaps that actually did stop it from going further--we don't really know.

The GA in question was apparently Mike McQueary, a guy who grew up in State College, was on the Penn State football team for four years, was the starting quarterback his senior year, and had been a GA for a couple of years by then had probably known/known of Sandusky all or most of his life. It must have been an incredible shock. He was obviously distraught, and I don't think telling Paterno was necessarily a bad course of action.

But if the event was never reported to the authorities by the people up the chain, then he must never have gotten any kind of follow-up interview by police or other authorities. And if he didn't follow up with the police any sooner, he certainly should have when he figured that out.

[JVS]

31. McQueary and Paterno both seem to be viewed positively by the grand jury's report.

Reasons for this might be:

1. Without them (and their testimony), there is no basis for a case against Schultz and Curley.
2. Although neither Paterno or McQueary went directly to the police, Schultz actually oversaw the campus police. Since McQueary and Paterno met with Schultz on Sunday morning about this, it could be argued that they thought that by talking to him they were reporting it to the campus police, although he chose to sit on this information.
3. Paterno an McQueary seem to be cooperative to the grand jury's work.

[fishwax]

34. well, they were deemed to have met their legal obligations

And the report says the grand jury considered McQueary's testimony very reliable. I think #1 and #3 are good points, but I'm skeptical that someone could really believe that telling the Vice President for Finance and Business was really reporting it to the police.

Also, Pennsylvania law (as I understand it) requires not only contacting police (and it might specify state police, I'm not sure), but also Child Protection Services. (I might not have the name of the agency precisely right.) Reports are required in writing. But I don't think that Paterno and McQueary were necessarily required reporters under the law. The AG said the action they took in telling their superiors was proper/sufficient legally.

Morally, on the other hand ...

[DURHAM D]

9. Wasn't Joe just following the practices of his church?

He had a model to follow and that is what he did.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

13. If that were the case, he would have transferred the

Defensive assistant coach to the Offense, destroyed all documents showing he worked there, threatened the parents of the abused kids, and claimed that the assistant coach was no longer employed in his position, ergo unavailable to service of process, investigation, whatever.

[Dash Riprock]

10. After it was reported to Joe Paterno

he followed procedure and reported it to the next in command. So Joe Paterno did the LEAST he had to do and never followed up on it to see what was done. This is a coach that has a good reputation as a "can do" guy. Imagine if one of his football players needed help in some area so they could play football, I bet he would have done more then the bare minimum. This whole thing stinks.

[LynneSin]

16. Actually they did do something - they cancelled Sandusky's Football camp at the main campus

I guess Sandusky was teaching football camp to underage kids. They cancelled it at the main campus but Sandusky was still continued to hold the football camp at three other locations in Pennsylvania.

BTW welcome to DU :hi:

[fishwax]

27. and yet, "Victim 1" in the grand jury report apparently met Sandusky at a camp on the main campus

and Sandusky took the victim to "professional and college sporting events, such as Philadelphia Eagles games, or pre-season practices at Penn State." :wtf:

On edit: I guess it was a Second Mile camp rather than the Sandusky Football Camps that he ran at satellite campuses.

[KamaAina]

32. Welcome, Dash!

Excellent name! I remember them from their NOLA days before the move to NC. :hi:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

12. "Happy Valley" takes on a whole new meaning.

Come meet me at Penn State, kid. Make me happy.

Grrr.

[Are_grits_groceries]

14. Even convicts loath molesters.

They have to be segregated from the general population. Their nickname is "Short Eyes."
When convicts have higher moral standards about this issue than your leaders, there is something very, very wrong.

[Fumesucker]

19. Yeah, they put all the kiddie diddlers in with each other so they can reminisce together..

People like this make me want to go all Clockwork Orange on their asses with the eyelid clamps and everything..

[Iggo]

21. Actually, it's so they don't get murdered.

But, yeah.

[LoZoccolo]

20. K&R n/t

[robdogbucky]

26. IMHO this is due to the cult of personality that prevails at PSU

JoePa has been the legend there, and can do no wrong. Everyone and everything that has anything to do with PSU reveres this man. BTW, Sandusky has 6 adopted children. Anyone want to speculate what it was like to grow up in his house? The information is that they appear to have normal lives. Who knows? Did Sandusky reserve his impulses for strangers' kids or did his own adoptees qualify as fair game growing up?

The fucking cultists in Pennsylvania have to wake up to this shit.

Anyway, this whole coverup will prove to be a worse crime for the university than the underlying felonies these campus "leaders," covered up for so many years. Unfortunately, the statistics show that for every incident that is known, there are likely 25 that will forever remain secret and will no doubt stain those many little boys forever. That is the real crime, not the coverup, but it will all be lost in the cult of personality allowed to control the university and the town.



Jerry Sandusky

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"...On November 4, 2011; Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly indicted Sandusky on 40 counts of sex crimes against young boys, following a three-year investigation into allegations that he had inappropriate contact with a 15-year-old boy over the course of four years, beginning when the boy was ten years old. The boy's parents reported the incident to police in 2009.<12> A grand jury identified eight boys singled out for sexual advances or sexual assaults by Sandusky from 1994 through 2009. <13> At least 20 of the incidents allegedly took place while Sandusky was still employed at Penn State.<14>

On November 5, 2011 Sandusky was arrested and charged with seven counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; eight counts of corruption of minors, eight counts of endangering the welfare of a child, seven counts of indecent assault and other offenses.<15> Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and senior vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz (who oversaw the Penn State police department) were charged with perjury and failure to report suspected child abuse by Sandusky. <16><17>

According to the indictment, in 2002 assistant coach Mike McQueary, then a Penn State graduate assistant <18>, walked in on Sandusky having anal intercourse with a ten-year-old boy. The next day, he reported the incident to Paterno, who informed Curley. Ultimately, the only action Curley and Schultz took was to order Sandusky not to bring any children from Second Mile to the football building, an action that was approved by school president Graham Spanier. The indictment accused Curley and Schultz of not only failing to tell the police, but falsely telling the grand jury that the graduate assistant never informed them of sexual activity.<19>

Sandusky is currently free on $100,000 bail pending trial. He could face life in prison if convicted of the charges.."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Sandusky



OUR VIEW: Penn State's Graham Spanier, Joe Paterno need to leave as result of Jerry Sandusky case. Doing what the law required wasn't enough

Published: Tuesday, November 08, 2011, 7:00 AM Updated: Tuesday, November 08, 2011, 9:59 AM

There are the obligations we all have to uphold the law. There are then the obligations we all have to do what is right.

It has become increasingly clear that while Penn State University President Graham Spanier has not been charged with breaking any laws, he did not do what is right — for his school or, more importantly, for the alleged victims of coaching legend Jerry Sandusky.

Spanier needs to step aside. If he doesn’t, the university board of trustees needs to take that step when it meets this week.

As for Joe Paterno, the face of Penn State and the man who has pushed for excellence on the football field and for the entire university, this must be his last season. His contract should not be extended. This is not about age. This is not about rebuilding a football team...

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/11/our_view.html

[Doctor_J]

28. I have as much respect for Joe-Pa than I do for any Republican anywhere

But this is starting to sound really bad for him. Given what I know of him, it's hard to believe that he would sit still while knowing about this stuff, but the evidence is mounting. His illustrious career as a coach and as a man will be forever trashed by this. So sad.

[robdogbucky]

29. Covered up at Happy Valley by Right Wing Republican Catholics

Anyone surprised by this?

[robdogbucky]

30. Edging JoePa toward the door.......

Penn State Said to Be Planning Paterno’s Exit Amid Scandal

By MARK VIERA and PETE THAMEL

Published: November 8, 2011

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Joe Paterno’s tenure as coach of the Penn State football team will soon be over, perhaps within days or weeks, in the wake of a sex-abuse scandal that has implicated university officials, according to two people briefed on conversations among the university’s top officials.

The board of trustees has yet to determine the precise timing of Paterno’s exit, but it is clear that the man who has more victories than any other coach at college football’s top level and who made Penn State a prestigious national brand will not survive to coach another season. Discussions about how to manage his departure have begun, according to the two people.

Paterno was to have held a news conference Tuesday but the university canceled it less than an hour before it was scheduled to start.

At age 84 and with 46 seasons as the Penn State head coach behind him, Paterno’s extraordinary run of success — one that produced tens of millions of dollars for the school and two national championships, and that established him as one of the nation’s most revered leaders, will end with a stunning and humiliating final chapter...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/sports/ncaafootball/penn-state-said-to-be-planning-paternos-exit.html

[Johonny]

33. sounds like he did report it

but that the university did no follow up and failed to report to authorities. The question around him is why after this failure did he take no further steps. The logical answer is he knew the person for years and there is always the ability to fool yourself about someones true nature. It sounds like Joe will get taken down for trusting to much in someone he shouldn't have about a matter that is vastly more open and serious than perhaps this subject matter was for Joe's generation. It will take a while longer for everything to come out particularly because there will be criminal charges. This probably won kill Joe's legacy because it was already thought he was too powerful for a football coach, hung on too long etc... This is just yet another example of why people thought he should have retired years ago.