Former Penn State Football Coach Sexual Abuse Coverup

[kairparavel]

I do not think you can separate Sandusky's actions from Penn State's failure to act. Paterno did not sexually assault any children, but he sure as hell failed in due diligence.

This wasn't some booster activity or recruiting violations he was looking the other way on. This was the compromising of a child's safety, over and over. And for what, might I ask? Those who fail to hold him accountable for his and the AD's and anybody else involved, especially the eye-witness' lack of action are the very reason things like this are allowed to go on.

[Altherion]

I do not think you can separate Sandusky's actions from Penn State's failure to act. Paterno did not sexually assault any children, but he sure as hell failed in due diligence.

Maybe it's because I'm not entirely familiar with the responsibilities of a college coach, but I don't understand why he is the one getting blamed. As far as I can tell, somebody came to him with allegations of abuse and he took this information to the administrators of the school. From what I know of university procedures, this is generally the right thing to do. Are coaches supposed to personally conduct an investigation of wrongdoing and report the results to the police? I very much doubt that.

[IheartTesla]

When it comes to sports (and especially a winning team) there must be SACRIFICES made.

College sports. it is where there is an unholy confluence of corporate interests and academia. There was a rather long expose in the Atlantic about how university administrators were taking money from television networks/corporate sponsors etc which put them in the uncomfortable position of being dictated to by them.

I know others have complained about this in the past, but college sports annoy me no end. Shutting down a uni FFS. Because of some stupid sports.

Add to this egregious abuses of power, violent players, coaches being paid more than professors, players being recruited for sports teams rather than A grade students etc etc.

Coaches indulging in sexual misconduct. Bah. That would be the final straw.

[kairparavel]

Maybe it's because I'm not entirely familiar with the responsibilities of a college coach, but I don't understand why he is the one getting blamed. As far as I can tell, somebody came to him with allegations of abuse and he took this information to the administrators of the school. From what I know of university procedures, this is generally the right thing to do. Are coaches supposed to personally conduct an investigation of wrongdoing and report the results to the police? I very much doubt that.

As has been stated in the media, he met his legal obligation. But when someone informs you that they saw one of your subordinates engaged in highly inappropriate, nay illegal act with a child, are you just going to shrug with your hands in your pockets because you told your boss? Sandusky was not seen smoking pot, or even getting it on with one of the players or stealing gate money. He was sexually assaulting a child on your campus, in your facility, in your showers. And you just drop that?

[Kalbear]

Maybe it's because I'm not entirely familiar with the responsibilities of a college coach, but I don't understand why he is the one getting blamed.

Okay, let's go over the facts some.

From 1994 to 1998 multiple accusations of inappropriate conduct were levied at Sandusky by people in the program and parents. The final one was in 1998, when a mother came forward and explicitly accused Sandusky of fondling her son. He said it was horseplay. He was dismissed from the team in 1999, but allowed to be coach emeritius and keep an officee, as well as run his 2nd mile program on campus.

In 2002, the graduate assistant reportedly witnessed Sandusky anally raping a 10 year old boy in the showers of the Penn State locker room. After not stepping in, not stopping, not calling the police or doing anything he ended up going to his father to talk it over. They meekly approached JoePa and told him what happened. JoePa told his DA. The end result was that Sandusky was not to bring children to the campus. They did not report it to the police - which is what ended up causing them to perjure. Also note that Sandusky's penalty didn't apply to satellite campuses, so instead he brought the kids to those places.

In 2007 Sandusky was witnessed by JoePa and the Graduate assistant (now the WR coach on PSU) at practice with a small child. Never raised an eyebrow.

As of last week Sandusky was still at PSU facilities.

In addition to that, multiple accounts of his abuses were filed at the 2nd mile between 1999 and 2008, including the 2002 incident. The program did nothing until 2009, when they finally dismissed Sandusky.

During this time Sandusky sexually assaulted at least 20 children that we know of, and more are coming forward each day.

And at multiple points this could have been stopped. It morally should have been stopped.

JoePa isn't just a college coach. He is Penn state. He may be the most powerful man in Pennsylvania. He's certainly the most powerful man on campus. if he had wanted an investigation to happen it could have happened any time. If he wanted to follow up and get something done it would have.

[Trebla]

A sickeningly ironic fact: Jerry Sandsky wrote a book titled "Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story" http://www.amazon.com/Touched-Jerry-Sandusky-Story/dp/1582612706

[kairparavel]

Okay, let's go over the facts some.

From 1994 to 1998 multiple accusations of inappropriate conduct were levied at Sandusky by people in the program and parents. The final one was in 1998, when a mother came forward and explicitly accused Sandusky of fondling her son. He said it was horseplay. He was dismissed from the team in 1999, but allowed to be coach emeritius and keep an officee, as well as run his 2nd mile program on campus.

In 2002, the graduate assistant reportedly witnessed Sandusky anally raping a 10 year old boy in the showers of the Penn State locker room. After not stepping in, not stopping, not calling the police or doing anything he ended up going to his father to talk it over. They meekly approached JoePa and told him what happened. JoePa told his DA. The end result was that Sandusky was not to bring children to the campus. They did not report it to the police - which is what ended up causing them to perjure. Also note that Sandusky's penalty didn't apply to satellite campuses, so instead he brought the kids to those places.

In 2007 Sandusky was witnessed by JoePa and the Graduate assistant (now the WR coach on PSU) at practice with a small child. Never raised an eyebrow.

As of last week Sandusky was still at PSU facilities.

In addition to that, multiple accounts of his abuses were filed at the 2nd mile between 1999 and 2008, including the 2002 incident. The program did nothing until 2009, when they finally dismissed Sandusky.

During this time Sandusky sexually assaulted at least 20 children that we know of, and more are coming forward each day.

And at multiple points this could have been stopped. It morally should have been stopped.

JoePa isn't just a college coach. He is Penn state. He may be the most powerful man in Pennsylvania. He's certainly the most powerful man on campus. if he had wanted an investigation to happen it could have happened any time. If he wanted to follow up and get something done it would have.

This. A million times over.

ESPN breaking news of Paterno retiring a season end. Personally, I cannot see how he was not forced out now, along with the President.

[Greywolf2375]

Personally, I cannot see how he was not forced out now, along with the President.

UNfortuantely the reason for this...

JoePa isn't just a college coach. He is Penn state. He may be the most powerful man in Pennsylvania. He's certainly the most powerful man on campus. if he had wanted an investigation to happen it could have happened any time. If he wanted to follow up and get something done it would have.

Is this. The impact this should have to the university could be monumental. I've heard people calling for the NCAA to make an exception to allow any of the players on that team out of their scholarship without penalty and be allowed to play without losing a year of eligibility. My opinion...open it even wider. Penn State IS football. Their women's volleyball team is fantastic too, but the school gets coverage because of football. I would bet more than half of the student body is there in part because of football & the resources their success brings to the school.

This is a former football coach that took the actions, but the institution allowed for it and facilitated it happening. I say let any student that was brough in by the allure of JoPA & the football team be allowed to leave without penalty.

[Howdyphillip]

Maybe it's because I'm not entirely familiar with the responsibilities of a college coach, but I don't understand why he is the one getting blamed. As far as I can tell, somebody came to him with allegations of abuse and he took this information to the administrators of the school. From what I know of university procedures, this is generally the right thing to do. Are coaches supposed to personally conduct an investigation of wrongdoing and report the results to the police? I very much doubt that.

I just can not even fathom how you came to have this position. Paterno was informed by an eye witness that a 10 year old child was being fucked in the ass in Penn State facilities by a member of his staff. You are asking what his responsibility is? This doesn't merit a call to the police or child protective services to you? There are no words to describe how reprehensible everyone involved with this is. I understand that this will not happen, but JoPa should spend the rest of his life in jail. That there are people even considering that he be allowed to coach the rest of the year flabbergasts me.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

JoePa isn't just a college coach. He is Penn state. He may be the most powerful man in Pennsylvania. He's certainly the most powerful man on campus. if he had wanted an investigation to happen it could have happened any time. If he wanted to follow up and get something done it would have.

THIS. And that at least in part is why I can't buy into the whole "well he went to the AD and reported this" excuse. The AD at Penn State doesn't have 1/10th the pull that Joe Paterno does.

[Swordfish]

Okay, let's go over the facts some.

From 1994 to 1998 multiple accusations of inappropriate conduct were levied at Sandusky by people in the program and parents. The final one was in 1998, when a mother came forward and explicitly accused Sandusky of fondling her son. He said it was horseplay. He was dismissed from the team in 1999, but allowed to be coach emeritius and keep an officee, as well as run his 2nd mile program on campus.

In 2002, the graduate assistant reportedly witnessed Sandusky anally raping a 10 year old boy in the showers of the Penn State locker room. After not stepping in, not stopping, not calling the police or doing anything he ended up going to his father to talk it over. They meekly approached JoePa and told him what happened. JoePa told his DA. The end result was that Sandusky was not to bring children to the campus. They did not report it to the police - which is what ended up causing them to perjure. Also note that Sandusky's penalty didn't apply to satellite campuses, so instead he brought the kids to those places.

In 2007 Sandusky was witnessed by JoePa and the Graduate assistant (now the WR coach on PSU) at practice with a small child. Never raised an eyebrow.

As of last week Sandusky was still at PSU facilities.

In addition to that, multiple accounts of his abuses were filed at the 2nd mile between 1999 and 2008, including the 2002 incident. The program did nothing until 2009, when they finally dismissed Sandusky.

During this time Sandusky sexually assaulted at least 20 children that we know of, and more are coming forward each day.

And at multiple points this could have been stopped. It morally should have been stopped.

JoePa isn't just a college coach. He is Penn state. He may be the most powerful man in Pennsylvania. He's certainly the most powerful man on campus. if he had wanted an investigation to happen it could have happened any time. If he wanted to follow up and get something done it would have.

And conversely, if he wanted it to go away quietly, it would have.

Which is more or less what happened.

[Vhagar]

Unfortunately, what you are saying is true. The joke on campus used to be that the chain of command was this: department head, dean, God, JoePa. If Joe wants it, it gets done. Period.

I have been proud to be an alum. Until now. Im saddened and disgusted by this entire thing.

Edited for idiot phone...

[Former Lord of Winterfell]

Okay, let's go over the facts some.

<snip>

.

Very well said. I wasn't aware of all those details, and so might have considered cutting JoePa some slack for only passing this up the chain of command if the allegations brought to him were non-specific. But based on everything you laid out, while JoPa isn't liable criminally, he certainly screwed up.

Although I can't understand why the graduate assistant didn't report it himself given that he witnessed it. I'd hang him before JoPa, and then the Administrators to whom Paterno passed the information but then sat on it. but if Paterno ended up being aware of the actual allegations, and that the university did not report this to the police, he deserves all the shit he's getting.

[Verboten]

Let the fucking team fail. Let the entire world know what kind of people led to these horrific acts and let them know that special status is not extended to you because of your job. Why are the fucking football players and their fucking useless game being considered more important than the victims? This is just disgusting.

[Altherion]

I just can not even fathom how you came to have this position. Paterno was informed by an eye witness that a 10 year old child was being fucked in the ass in Penn State facilities by a member of his staff. You are asking what his responsibility is? This doesn't merit a call to the police or child protective services to you?

From the equivalent of a middle-rung manager? Not unless the crime is in progress. The eye witness should have called the police immediately, of course, but if it is some time afterwards, then the correct thing to do would be to pass the information up to the people whose job it is to deal with such situations.

On the other hand, if he really has the kind of power people are referring to in this thread and given that he knew of the offenses for which Sandusky appears to have been dismissed, keeping quiet after the administrators did nothing clearly wasn't right.

[Ken Stone]

Hope you enjoyed your time at Penn State Coach Sandusky, because now you are going straight to the State Penn.

[Former Lord of Winterfell]

From the equivalent of a middle-rung manager? Not unless the crime is in progress. The eye witness should have called the police immediately, of course, but if it is some time afterwards, then the correct thing to do would be to pass the information up to the people whose job it is to deal with such situations.

On the other hand, if he really has the kind of power people are referring to in this thread and given that he knew of the offenses for which Sandusky appears to have been dismissed, keeping quiet after the administrators did nothing clearly wasn't right.

This is where I come down. If Paterno was told the nature of the allegations, I can't fault him too much for passing it up the chain to the Administrators so that he doesn't get involved. After all, if he really is that powerful, then staying out of the investigation has some merit as well.

But once he saw that this guy wasn't arrested, and was actually given an office, there is simply no excuse for him not following up and finding out why the hell the guy is still there. Sounds to me like he just considered this a huge tar baby that he just wanted off his desk.

[Yagathai]

Let us all make a pact, boarders: If any of us is alerted to the fact that a grown man was assfucking a 10 year-old (of any sex) so hard that the sound of flesh slapping against flesh is loud enough to be heard over the sound of a running shower several rooms away, we solemnly swear to report it to the police at the first opportunity and not first to our dad or boss or dad's boss, unless that person is also a police officer.

[jurble]

What if I'm time-traveling in an era where pederasty is popular and acceptable?

[Eponine]

This is where I come down. If Paterno was told the nature of the allegations, I can't fault him too much for passing it up the chain to the Administrators so that he doesn't get involved. After all, if he really is that powerful, then staying out of the investigation has some merit as well.

But once he saw that this guy wasn't arrested, and was actually given an office, there is simply no excuse for him not following up and finding out why the hell the guy is still there. Sounds to me like he just considered this a huge tar baby that he just wanted off his desk.

I think this is even more true about the GA. Given that he was physically capable of doing so, it's reasonable to fault him for not stepping in immediately and removing the child from the situation, etc. However, he probably thought that he was getting involved in the right way by reporting it to Paterno, then to the AD and the VP at the school. I'm pretty sure that when I was a GA, once past the point where I could have physically stepped in and done something, my very first inclination would have been to go to my adviser. Obviously that's not the right thing to do first, but at 21, it would probably have been the first thing I'd have thought to do.

But anyway, if my adviser had told me that he would make sure that things were handled correctly and investigated, I probably would have trusted that. At that point, I would expect to tell my story again (as he did to the AD and VP), but wouldn't expect to be in the know about the police investigation. Now, he did become an assistant coach, so at some point, he should have followed up on why Sandusky was still there, but I don't think that going to Paterno and believing that the investigation would be carried out is a complete moral failure.

So while I do fault both Paterno and the GA for lack of follow up, not a trivial matter at all - particularly Paterno's ability to make sure that the case was investigated in the right way, definitely I think that the worst failure was at the top of the chain of command. This is why there's a chain of command, whether Paterno is the most important person in State College or not. If the correct authorities for the school had done their part right away, there would be no talk of faulting Paterno or the GA. Their failure was in not doing everything in their power to make sure that the investigation wasn't followed through with, but not in directing it to their administrators/coach where serious school problems should be expected to be handled.