Penn St., Sandusky and Joe Paterno

[on3m@n@rmy]

I have seen reports stating JoPa reported some of the sexual misconducts to the AD and the school president. Some reports say the president may have learned from the AD. But apparently noone reported the incidents to the police.

As a minimum, heads should roll. Don't wait for retirement. In Washington State, if a teacher witnesses or merely suspects sexual misconduct may have taken place, that teacher is required to make sure the incident is reported to the police or CPS (child protective services). IF the teacher does not, the teacher will lose their job and State Teaching Certificate... a death penalty for further teaching in the State. The teacher who knows or suspects such incidents does not actually have to make the contact, but is only required to "ensure" the proper contact is made. For example, the teacher could tell an upper administrator (like JoPA telling the AD) with the understanding the admin will contact the police or CPS. But STILL, the teacher is required to follow up with the admins to make sure the contact was made.... in Washington.

I don't know what the State of Pennsylvania laws are for teachers (or school officials, including coaches) reporting incidents. Can anyone from Penn shed any light on this? Point being, I can see where this could have gotten all muddled up and fell in a crack. BUT STILL THAT'S NO EXCUSE FOR NOT DOING THE FRIGGIN RIGHT THING.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

They should all retire now! From the coaching staff to the whole admin who knew and the cops! Freaking ridiculous! Surprised if anyone shows up at the next game, or they shouldn't show up or I feel they'll be supporting this mess. Time for some players to seek a new school, this is going to get ugly fast.

... or something like that. My choice would be a swift firing from the top down.

 

[rhubroma]

...Point being, I can see where this could have gotten all muddled up and fell in a crack. BUT STILL THAT'S NO EXCUSE FOR NOT DOING THE FRIGGIN RIGHT THING.

And why, per chance, did things get muddled up and fall through the cracks?

Money and reputation.

It's funny how something so irrelevant to the universities and higher education such as the athletic progams, become the most important things.

But I guess it's just the American way.

 

[benzwire]

They're now reporting that Penn State President stepping down and Coach Paterno fired.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

And why, per chance, did things get muddled up and fall through the cracks?

Money and reputation.

It's funny how something so irrelevant to the universities and higher education such as the athletic progams, become the most important things.

But I guess it's just the American way.

Sadly, your version may be more accurate, which means the rights of individuals would have been consciously neglected.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I have seen reports stating JoPa reported some of the sexual misconducts to the AD and the school president. Some reports say the president may have learned from the AD.

Read the timeline (if you can). Joe heard about it, and reported it to the AD and officials higher than him, and did nothing more, nothing less. When they dismissed it, he apparently considered it over, when it obviously was not.

But apparently no one reported the incidents to the police.

Not true. Read the timeline (updated by AP since my last post), or if you can stomach it, read the actual GJ release. The police knew about it, more than one cop. A prosecuting attorney knew about it as well. They failed to pursue the matter and dismissed it. Even after that, and the abuse continued years later, and was reported, school officials did nothing. Astounding and sickening.

I'm not really surprised that the trustees fired Joe, and if they were going to do it, now was the time. They really should fire everyone involved in any way, all of them, then dismiss themselves immediately after.

But it stretches beyond there. Those involved at the Second Mile, those involved in the Clinton County judicial and law enforcement who took over a year to even begin an investigation, and two further years until he's actually charged.

The Pennsylvania state's attorney's office also needs to look into police and judicial negligence of their own.

Speaking of which, remember Pat Tillman

One of my heroes to be honest. And a damned ugly shame the way his life ended, and the aftermath. His brothers spoke well for him in his absence.

 

[nvpacchi]

PA Law says that (paraphrased): teachers and anyone working with students are mandated reporters and therefore are required by law to report suspected abuse to state authorities. Not only to school administration, but law enforcement MUST be notified as well. A call to the PA childline would have sufficed.

Riots are starting in state college too. It seems like half my high school class went to Penn State and most of them are foolishly ignoring the 'real' issue, and remain p***** that Joe was fired.

 

[ElChingon]

They're now reporting that Penn State President stepping down and Coach Paterno fired.

Where!?!?!

Found it! Joe Pat. Fired!

Just updated my Death Pool. Good thing I had one edit still left till trade deadline.

 

[pedaling squares]

Good. JP should be fired immediately. How on earth can someone receive news that his adult coworker was having anal intercourse with a young boy in the school showers and misinterpret what was said? That would be one of the more shocking things a person could be told. Nobody (except those who want the whole thing forgotten in the name of school spirit) is going to believe that Paterno interpreted it another way and told his superior an inaccurate version of the event.

I missed where it said that law enforcement dropped the ball, I only saw reference to them being involved with Victim 6, where the DA chose not to lay a charge. Is there info about them doing a poor investigation or failing to act? That would be about as sick as the crimes themselves.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Now that it's hit the air locally, I can comment on what Stan Brock said. As a former coach on the NCAA level, he had walked on the same halls as other coaches and staff at numerous large arenas and organizations and was sickened by this story as much as anyone. He was highly critical of everyone at PSU and beyond, including Paterno, and said he and everyone else involved even on the smallest level had to go immediately and face the consequences. He felt Paterno should not get any special treatment, had no excuse for his inaction, and there should be no send off of any kind.

Meanwhile, Nike has no plans to change the name of Joe Paterno Child Development Center on their campus. No, this is not some sick joke. Link here.

 

[ElChingon]

Meanwhile, Nike has no plans to change the name of Joe Paterno Child Development Center on their campus. No, this is not some sick joke. Link here.

At least till some parents say something or once the fan stops emitting brown stuff.

 

[rhubroma]

Sadly, your version may be more accurate, which means the rights of individuals would have been consciously neglected.

Of course I'm right. And I'll go even further, the staff, the board of trustees, local law enforcement and others did there best to dawdle and sweep this under the rug, until it was no longer possible, in a vicious cycle of infamy and corruption.

The role that the universities have given to sports like football and basketball, because of the revenues they generate and how they "enhance" an institution's reputation is scanadalous. What has sport got to do with higher education? The money that's thrown into it and the debased mentality which prevails among these athletic instituions is appalling, which are really professional leagues inserted into the university system that it insolently calls collegiate. It's all God, country and glory, but then when something as perverse and depaved as this comes out, the entire system is shown for its hypocrisy and mendaciousness, which is simply gotesque.

Especially when we consider that they frequently become a decisive reason in terms of the enrollments.

This is why nothing was done for so long.

 

[Merckx index]

The ironies abound:

As Glenn Wilson pointed out, Sandusky has an autobiography called Touched. (More than fifty “reviews” of the book have been published on Amazon in the past week).

Joe Paterno has a Child Development Center named after him.

And the just resigned University President Graham Spanier? His academic field of expertise is therapy.

You can’t make this stuff up.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Of course I'm right. And I'll go even further...

The role that the universities have given to sports like football and basketball, because of the revenues they generate and how they "enhance" an institution's reputation....

I don't want to put words in anyone's mouth, but I believe your post touches on why Brock was as critical as you and almost saying the same thing. Having been a head coach with a division 1 NCAA team, plus coached elsewhere, he is well aware of the full system you allude to, and it's power.

 

[rhubroma]

I don't want to put words in anyone's mouth, but I believe your post touches on why Brock was as critical as you and almost saying the same thing. Having been a head coach with a division 1 NCAA team, plus coached elsewhere, he is well aware of the full system you allude to, and it's power.

I grew up in a family in which football was daily bread, having a father who played at Tampa in the late 60's (small college national champions in 1970, the year I was born there) and an uncle who played for Syracuse in the 70's; both, at a certain point, coached at the multiple state championship high school they went to (and myself) in southern New Jersey.

I also played in high school for 4 years, though unfortunately I should have been on the bike, because I turned out to be a better cyclist.

I remember all the pre-game pep talks by the head coach bent down on one knee in reverence about how you were doing your community proud, if not your entire state proud, and may the Lord send his blessings benevolence in protecting everyone and, of course, how its all about character and heart and that was that and a whole series of other pre-game inanities then ending with a votive prayer. Meanwhile the defensive line coach was a depraved ex-navy seal, who used to threaten to kick our a$$es if we didn't shape up, then hit on, and actually secretly had sex with, some of the girls in the senior class. To say nothing of the anabolic steroids he arranged for the boys. That's the environment I remember and it was pretty much the same among the other schools in the league.

I'm wondering what my uncle thinks of Joe Paterno right now, having met him on several occasions through a linebacker he had once coached who then played for Joe, at their annual Penn State football game outings organized among a tight circle of football friends, which, naturally, included my father.

This is why I'm not at all surprised about the scandal, given that it's not very hard to imagine the environment that bore it and of course why.

 

[Benotti69]

At Penn State preventing child rape is less important than the football program.

it appears lots of the students agree

 

[Benotti69]

Read the timeline (if you can). Joe heard about it, and reported it to the AD and officials higher than him, and did nothing more, nothing less. When they dismissed it, he apparently considered it over, when it obviously was not.


Not true. Read the timeline (updated by AP since my last post), or if you can stomach it, read the actual GJ release. The police knew about it, more than one cop. A prosecuting attorney knew about it as well. They failed to pursue the matter and dismissed it. Even after that, and the abuse continued years later, and was reported, school officials did nothing. Astounding and sickening.

I'm not really surprised that the trustees fired Joe, and if they were going to do it, now was the time. They really should fire everyone involved in any way, all of them, then dismiss themselves immediately after.

But it stretches beyond there. Those involved at the Second Mile, those involved in the Clinton County judicial and law enforcement who took over a year to even begin an investigation, and two further years until he's actually charged.

The Pennsylvania state's attorney's office also needs to look into police and judicial negligence of their own.

I hope there are lots of civil damage suits taken against all involved.

 

[craig1985]

I find it pretty funny that people are actually rioting that Joe Paterno is gone.

 

[patricknd]

I grew up in a family in which football was daily bread, having a father who played at Tampa in the late 60's (small college national champions in 1970, the year I was born there) and an uncle who played for Syracuse in the 70's; both, at a certain point, coached at the multiple state championship high school they went to (and myself) in southern New Jersey.

I also played in high school for 4 years, though unfortunately I should have been on the bike, because I turned out to be a better cyclist.

I remember all the pre-game pep talks by the head coach bent down on one knee in reverence about how you were doing your community proud, if not your entire state proud, and may the Lord send his blessings benevolence in protecting everyone and, of course, how its all about character and heart and that was that and a whole series of other pre-game inanities then ending with a votive prayer. Meanwhile the defensive line coach was a depraved ex-navy seal, who used to threaten to kick our a$$es if we didn't shape up, then hit on, and actually secretly had sex with, some of the girls in the senior class. To say nothing of the anabolic steroids he arranged for the boys. That's the environment I remember and it was pretty much the same among the other schools in the league.

I'm wondering what my uncle thinks of Joe Paterno right now, having met him on several occasions through a linebacker he had once coached who then played for Joe, at their annual Penn State football game outings organized among a tight circle of football friends, which, naturally, included my father.

This is why I'm not at all surprised about the scandal, given that it's not very hard to imagine the environment that bore it and of course why.

didn't you get the memo? football builds character !!!! would any of us be the men we are without it?

 

[Cobblestones]

I hope there are lots of civil damage suits taken against all involved.

I hope the victims are suing the University for civil damages. The only language which the US educational system understands nowadays is money. It is abundantly clear that the main reason the serial rape of children was covered up by all instances over more than a decade is revenue and donations related to the football program. Based on that, a good trial lawyer should easily be able to extract in the order of $100s million from Penn State, and it would be just.

The other decent choice of action would be for the big ten conference to suspend Penn State for a couple of years. Sadly, the operating word here is 'decent', so of course that will never happen.

There's no words strong enough to express my utter disgust with the system, but let me try: I hope every single of those motherfvckers involved is going to rot in hell for eternity, while being constantly sodomized with a 2 by 4 wrapped in barbed wire.

Then of course, I learn about the students protesting the firing of Paterno. I give up. There's no hope.

 

[ChrisE]

I find it pretty funny that people are actually rioting that Joe Paterno is gone.

It would be even funnier if teargas and rubber bullets were sprayed into those idiots. Maybe turn loose a pack of police dogs on them. How somebody could riot for somebody that turned a blind eye to sodomizing a child is something I cannot even begin to imagine.

The actions of these *** and the actions of those in the Penn State football program goes right to the heart of everything in society if you care to look.

 

[ChrisE]

I hope the victims are suing the University for civil damages. The only language which the US educational system understands nowadays is money. It is abundantly clear that the main reason the serial rape of children was covered up by all instances over more than a decade is revenue and donations related to the football program. Based on that, a good trial lawyer should easily be able to extract in the order of $100s million from Penn State, and it would be just.
.

Now now.

We can't have lawsuit abuse resulting from these unfortunate isolated instances.

*sarcasm off*

 

[Black-Balled]

I think the matter is (was) still 'under investigation' in the PSU boardroom.

Of course, now that criminal charges are underway, it is out of PSU's hands.

I wouldn't expect any 9 figure settlements to come out.

What a horrid man, that Sandusky. He will know hell.

 

[Cobblestones]

I wouldn't expect any 9 figure settlements to come out.

The catholic church scandal has resulted in a $2 billion payout up to now. If you consider that the football team makes a yearly profit of about $50 million, and you add it over the 10 years of child rape cover up, I could easily see a multi $100 million payout.

 

[nvpacchi]

I would not be surprised in the coming days if a slew of new information surfaced. I can't imagine that more was not known about Sandusky's locker room rendezvous, and I would not be surprised if some sort of coverup was enacted. After reading the grand jury report, Sandusky seemed to be too "sloppy and careless" in his twisted efforts for more people not to know what was going on.

Needless to say the University, its administration, and its rioting students are putting our state on the national/international headlines for all the wrong reasons. The local forums and fan lines are still inundated with foolish comments about treating Joe Pa unfairly, and how he did the "right thing" and how its un-ethical to jumped to preconceived notions for firing him.

And to all those people who don't want to jump to conclusions, in the coming weeks my guess is we'll find out the Joe Pa knew a LOT MORE than he has so far indicated.