Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
The reports from State College, Pa are shocking. Long-time assistant to iconic coach, Joe Paterno, charged with multiple counts of deviant sexual acts with at least eight minors — most under age 12. University administrators who did nothing despite horrific credible eyewitness accounts of explicit sexual acts in locker rooms and showers. Disadvantaged kids taken advantage of by an authority figure who founded an organization ostensibly to help them, but apparently designed to fulfill his own aberrational desires.
These are the findings of the Grand Jury, and once unassailable Pennsylvania State University stands at a moral crossroads. At the institution’s hip stands legendary football coach, Joe Paterno, who is held out by the football world and the media as a guy who “does it right.” No cheating, no lascivious recruiting, no flashy uniforms a la’ Nike’s Oregon or Under Armour’s Maryland–the guy who made his football team clean the stadium after a game when criminal charges were placed against two of them. In short, a saint in the religion that has become football in Football America.
The center of the storm is former Penn State assistant coach, Jerry
Sandusky, who made football fans everywhere think of the school as “Linebacker U.” An innovative mind who literally wrote the book on linebackers, Sandusky was Paterno’s right-hand man, and his heir apparent in Happy Valley. The problem was Paterno just didn’t ever retire. Now at age 84 and in his 44th season coaching, Paterno is going strong and adding to his record 409 FCS wins. Frustrated by the wait, Sandusky, 67, applied for several head coaching jobs, but, failing in that, retired in 1999 to work full-time with the Second Mile Foundation he created in 1977. Second Mile was designed to give disadvantaged youth “activities and programs for children [and] … to promote self-confidence as well as physical, academic, and personal success.”
Sandusky is alleged by the Grand Jury to have done quite a bit more. In 2002, a Penn State grad student overheard “rhythmic slapping” noises in the locker room showers. After putting away his tennis shoes, the 28-year-old went to investigate. What he saw can only be described as deviancy. According to published reports, the young man saw Sandusky involved in anal intercourse with a child he estimated to be age 10 (Victim #2). He fled the scene shocked and the next day, accompanied by his father, reported the episode to Paterno. Paterno listened intently and then immediately reported it to University AD, Tim Curley. A week and a half later, the grad student met with Curley and University VP for Finance, Gary Shultz. They too listened intently and assured him that steps would be taken. They weren’t. All that happened was that Sandusky’s keys to the locker room were taken away.
Then there’s that report by a University janitor who also caught Sandusky in the showers with another child victim ( Victim #8). He reported it to his supervisor. What happened at ol’ PSU in the face of the most unspeakable of crimes? Nada, zip, zilch… why, nothing at all. No report to the police as required of all educators under Pennsylvania law (In Pennsylvania, the statute requires all individuals who encounter a case of abuse through their professional capacity to make a report). No attempt to find out who the child was or to help him.
There is lots more. The Attorney’s General’s Report, found here (Warning:
it’s graphic), reports fondling, oral sex, and night-time sexual assaults against children “sleeping over” at the Sandusky home and at other places. There’s even lots more about Curley and VP of Finance Shultz. Seems neither man recalls the grad student mentioning anything about anal sex in the shower that night. All these folks remember is something about Sandusky and the naked ten-year-old just “horsing around.” Maybe that’s how they view screwing people over in the world of university finance and university athletics?
The Grand Jury didn’t buy it either and have charged both with perjury in their testimony.
As you probably guessed, the Old Boys have pulled together. No charges of failing to report the act to police against the iconic coach or anyone else at Penn State either — at least not yet. University President, Graham Spanier, issued a statement saying, “I have known and worked daily with Tim and Gary for more than 16 years. I have complete confidence in how they have handled the allegations about a former University employee.” Tim and Gary aren’t issuing statements.
St. Joe’s not talking either according to the Athletic Department, but as a football icon he can’t keep that up forever. I’d like to pose a question here from a fellow coach: “Joe, as a legend in a profession who has as its mantra that ‘we’re in it for the kids,’ why would you ignore the suffering of and brutality against one of those kids whose only flaw seems to be that he’s not old enough to suit up yet?”
I’d like an honest answer to that. And then I’d like another question answered of every man that was involved — whether as a witness, authority figure, supervising coach,or just as a father of kids. Why didn’t you step up and confront that old bastard in the showers and hit him with all your might right square in the nose?
Source: Washington Post
~Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
An interesting twist to this story:
Questions on Sandusky Are Wrapped in a 2005 Mystery
By Ken Belson
Published: November 8, 2011
“One of the questions surrounding the sex-abuse case against Jerry Sandusky is why a former district attorney chose not to prosecute the then-Penn State assistant coach in 1998 after reports surfaced that he had inappropriate interactions with a boy.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/sports/ncaafootball/questions-on-sandusky-wrapped-in-2005-gricar-mystery.html
Here’s an interesting take on abusers and their enablers comparing it to another famous institution rocked by pedophilia written by Rose Marie Berger’s, a Roman Catholic and poet, who found some insight on our blog:
http://rosemarieberger.com/2011/11/09/if-penn-state-was-the-catholic-church-paterno-sandusky-and-raping-boys/
Here’s the mea culpa:
Paterno released this statement:
“I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief. I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today. That’s why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can.
This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.
My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.”
sm:
Sounds like a peace offering to the Bd of Trustees to me. Not sure they will take it.
Paterno is retiring at the end of the season.
Blouise, Denial is powerful.
Elaine,
Exactly! This is why they are all going down … if not in a Court of Law then most definitely in the Court of Public Opinion.
It was this sense of outrage I think mespo expressed so well in a very short sentence in his original guest blogger piece … “I’d like another question answered of every man that was involved – whether as a witness, authority figure, supervising coach,or just as a father of kids. Why didn’t you step up and confront that old bastard in the showers and hit him with all your might right square in the nose?“
How do these men live with themselves? Have they no conscience? How could they have remained silent and not informed authorities when they were told what Sandusky had done? Weren’t they concerned about Sandusky’s child victims. Why wouldn’t they try to stop him from abusing more children?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/sports/ncaafootball/joe-paternos-grand-experiment-meets-an-inglorious-end.html?_r=1&hp
Excerpts:
A better comparison would be the sexual molestation scandals that rocked another insular, all-male institution, the Roman Catholic Church.
The parallels are too striking to ignore. A suspected predator who exploits his position to take advantage of his young charges. The trusting colleagues who don’t want to believe it — and so don’t.
Even confronted with convincing proof, they choose to protect their institution’s reputation. In the face of a moral imperative to act, there is silence.
This was the dynamic that pervaded the Catholic clerical culture during its sexual abuse scandals, and it seems to have been no less pervasive at Penn State.
…
“Success With Honor,” as the football program’s motto boasts.
AY, Jim Hood was re-elected as Mississippi Attorney General. He is a Democrat. The Mississippi AG office has been proactive at consumer protections, and the famous tobacco settlement litigation was begun in that same office under Jim’s predecessor, AG Mike Moore.
The Mississippi AG has a lot of political and legal clout in the state, so I am glad it remains in the hands of a lifelong Democrat. I have known Jim Hood for many years and he is a good lawyer.
OS,
You are correct…I stand corrected….
http://www.clarionledger.com/misc/election/electionstate.html
I am male…so…expect me to make mistakes…lol
And to all who commented on the Mississippi proposal 26….I just heard that it failed…but at the same time elected republicans for all of the major state wide offices…except for the AG and Auditor General which were Independents….Not a single Democrat….I wonder why?
mespo,
I wonder if the entire staff will be offered a contract with the NFL team in Wisconsin….
Blouise,
Yes! By the way, how is the election going in Ohio?
raff,
I wasn’t thinking about the indiscretions so much as … “They both stayed too long at the fair and brought their otherwise brilliant careers to an ignoble end.”
Blouise,
Paterno’s actions or inaction was much worse than Woody’s indiscretion.
here’s the NYTimes story on his planned exit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/sports/ncaafootball/penn-state-said-to-be-planning-paternos-exit.html?emc=na
(Kinda reminds me of ol’ Woody down at OSU)
Nice catch anon nurse. It is a little late to keep shame away from this scandal, but Joe Pa leaving would be a little start.
Here’s one more…
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/11/08/penn-state-joe-paterno-scandal/index.html
Maybe others in this country who are turning a blind eye to various types of abuse will think twice, step up to the plate and do what’s right… But this is one hell of a way to get there…
From the above article: The Penn State alma mater includes this line: “May no act of ours bring shame.”
Great updates anon nurse!