Penn State coach, AD, VP charged in child rape case

I once went to State College for a Texas game when I was living in DC. It is tough to get to and there's not much there. Thinking back on what I saw of the town... yep, it wouldn't take much for a group of folks to run it like a mafia family... an isolated mountain town with the prestige to not be a worry to the larger state of Pennsylvania.

If the reports of a 1994 investigation that was ordered stopped by the campus police chief (under a different chief and president) are true, then that's another data point that this was an organization run amok. Somehow, these things were covered up and somehow, enough pressure was put on the families to not make a big deal of what happened to their kids. When people start to turn over and testify against each other, there's no telling where this ends up but it is sure to be uglier than what we now know.

PSU has a 1.5 billion dollar endowment today. With the number of victims increasing by the hour and the fairly certain fact that there was a cover-up or at least depraved indifference, it wouldn't be surprising if that money is all in the hands of victims and lawyers within a few years... and deservedly so (except for the lawyers part). (Victims have from 12 years after their 18th birthday to report the crime, so if the reports of a 10 yo are true, that could conceivably take you back to at least 1992.)

This could be the death of a major university and will destroy the football program for a generation or more. What recruit is going to want to shower where little boys got raped? What administrator is going to want to come in and change the culture of the university (and town)? What coach is going to want to come in following JoePa and all of this? They surely can't be thinking of choosing anyone with current ties to PSU for either President of Head Caoch can they?

 

And yes, Paterno, his whole staff, including secretaries and office assistants (because you know everyone heard the rumors and yet there was no action from anyone) and the President and everyone in the AD's office should have been gone yesterday. The BOT has made it clear they do not get it with their committee decision. Where are the Feds and the State of Pennsylvania? Somebody from outside is going to have to take charge of this.

 

Joe's statement reads like:

"Please let me get 410, please let me get 410...."

He needs to go.

DD

 

Agreed...even thought it was University police, and the welfare agency, real police should have been involved or at least contacted...I have to believe from 1997 - 1994, more incidents happened..And how does someone abruptly retire...they had to have known...very sick and disgusting and if Paterno is on the sidelines this weekend or ever again, that would be a travesty...

And his "retire at the end of the season" is a joke...

 

The idea that this has become about Paterno is sad. The focus should be on Sandusky, the grad assistant, and the AD. If I'm that G.A. that discovers the illegal activity, I might tell Joe/Curley first to make them aware, but IMO it was his moral responsibility as the witness to go directly to police (or at least contact police with the AD or Joe). The problem is the G.A. passed on responsibility to Paterno who then passed it on to the AD. Paterno is the middle-man here...the G.A. and the head of the department (the AD) should have been the one's taking action. I haven't heard anyone talking about the G.A., though.

That doesn't excuse Paterno for not doing anything, but he shouldn't be the lead subject here. We just don't know all of the details surrounding it. I'm a neutral observer of Paterno (ie no fandom of him or the team) and I think he made a horrible, regretful decision not to take more action and I'm sure it is probably killing him inside. But he shouldn't be made out as the devil in all of this.

Read this on facebook and I pretty much agree:

 

That excerpt summarizes how I feel about it. Although I did not like the brief statement I heard from Paterno today to be honest. And no, I don't know the exact details/timeline yet, but taking into account what I do know, that's how I feel. Waiting on Joe Pa's official, prolonged statement though.

 

When the Grad assistant went to Joe Pa.....JoePa should have told him to go straight to the police.

His complicity in the matter is part of the problem and the acts are so heinous that it calls into question his moral fibre as well.

DD

 

lol could this get any more ridiculous?


http://www.amazon.com/Touched-Jerry-Sandusky-Story/dp/1582613575

 

I don't know how much I agree with that, maybe I'm wrong, but I viewed Paterno as nothing more than a figurehead. The University has flat out used/exploited him. What weight he actually carries is a mystery to me. The guy isn't some clear minded, decisive leader, he's an old man.

 

This is like saying Watergate was about G. Gordon Liddy and burglary.

It wasn't, and this is not.

 

I was under the impression, as absurd as this may sound, that the AD reports directly to the police. Which is weird, but apparently the setup. Can anyone give some insight into that?

 

maybe you should go read up on this issue before you continue to dig deeper your hole of stupidity.

 

Agree 100%. Paterno's willingness to look the other way should make you question anything he says now.

 

Agreed, but what the hell was the G.A. thinking all this time? He saw it first hand and didn't go to police.

Hate to speculate but I wonder if his life was threatened somehow, seeing as to what happened to the DA that probed into Sandusky and disappeared. We just don't know all the details of this case, which is why I find it hard to burn JoePa at the stake.

The fact is that JoePa is getting all of the attention here and really shouldn't be. He's not excused but this is media sensationalism at its best.

 

I see they aren't selling it currently. The poor guy that left the only review prior to the allegations:

[rquoter]When you finish this book you wish it was longer. Like a good movie you do not want it to end. It describes a man who has done some great things to help others. How many college football coaches would turn down 3 head coaching opportunities at big-time schools to stay in "Happy Valley". A couple who could not have their own children. Then adopted 6. Not all in infancy. A man who took in foster children and at the same time ran the defense for one of college football's elite teams for 23 years. A kid who never grew up. Yet a person who is so selfless it defies human ego. Everyone reading this should do themselves a moral favor and contribute money to the Second Mile. (...).[/rquoter]

 

That's how I feel as well. I agree that Paterno didn't have any direct responsibility with what happened, and he probably DID put too much faith in his colleagues to handle the situation. However, this was something that needed to be dealt with immediately, with swift action....and instead, it was simply swept under the rug. For Paterno to pass the buck, and then NOT follow up is damning. Not nearly as damning as the GA literally WITNESSING child rape and doing nothing, or the President choosing not to investigate further, but damning nonetheless.

 

The Facebook page is mixing up legal and moral responsibility. No one is arguing that JoePa should go to jail - yes, he did what he was legally required to do. But there's no way in hell he did what common sense dictates. First off, JoePa IS Penn State football - so this stuff about him having nothing to do with Sandusky being there is nonsense. Second, he absolutely had a moral responsibility to figure out what the hell was going on. There's no way to pretend that his only moral responsibility is to tell the AD and walk away. That's simply absurd.

 

On a side note, the GA absolutely bears responsibility as well. JoePa gets the attention because (a) he's the face of the program and (b) he's held himself up as the moral authority both at Penn State and of college football with his previous statements.

 

DUDE, the buck stops with JoePa! That's why he's getting all the attention!!!!
No one is excoriating the GA but to be upset that the media are all on JoePa for this is beyond mindboggling.

Go back and read Sam Fisher's analogy of JoePa to Tony Soprano to see again why the old man is getting all this attention.

 

Absolutely! Both of them bear responsibility but for folks to get upset that JoePa is bearing so much media scrutiny just puzzles me.