The issue with Paterno I think is we are not talking about an isolated incident involving the former Assistant Coach. In 1999 there was an incident where police and child welfare were involved but no charges were filed. If the university was unaware of Sanduskys issues, why did he then "retire" at the age of 55, he was told by Paterno he would never be head coach. and was never offered a coaching job anywhere else. This same person was able to maintain an Emeritus status at PSU with an office and full access to all facilities. Then the issue witnessed in 2002. But if you read the grand jury testimony there is a LOT more.

All the persons directly involved in this grand jury investigation are gone, the administrator it was reported to, the university police official was fired and charged, the president, and Paterno, The only one not fired was the grad student who witnessed the incident who is now also a coach on the team. There are likely many more involved who knew and the governor is suspect because the indictment did not get filed until after Paterno won his record breaking winning game. I suspect the entire coaching staff is done at the end of the season regardless.

As a teacher, you dont have to personally witness child abuse to report it. In fact in some states if as a teacher you suspect it and don

't, you are legally liable. I have no idea how PA works but I also thought there was a federal law as well.

I don't think the issue with Paterno and the President of the University is in what they did. Both followed the book, Its what they didn't do. People in positions of leadership are there for a reason, to make the sometimes unpopular decision for whats best or right. These men did nothing but put the interests of the university and football program above protecting the innocent. That's the crime. Not much different IMO that what the Catholic church did. What we have instead of parishers protecting dirty priests are students and alumni protecting undeserving men.

Yes, you don't have to personally witness it, but you need to either see signs in the victim (bruises, etc) or somehow have contact with the victim, and the victim confides in you, etc... such as when Dottie West had a breakdown in school when she was fourteen, and told her principal that her father had been raping her. The principal called the sherriff, and her father was taken into custody that afternoon. But here... you don't have that crucial link to the victim or the witness going to the police. I want to know if the grad student was ever questioned by police. Paterno seems to be a middle man in all this. the people ABOVE Paterno who were supposed to handle it I do lay plenty of blame on.

Yes, you don't have to personally witness it, but you need to either see signs in the victim (bruises, etc) or somehow have contact with the victim, and the victim confides in you, etc... such as when Dottie West had a breakdown in school when she was fourteen, and told her principal that her father had been raping her. The principal called the sherriff, and her father was taken into custody that afternoon. But here... you don't have that crucial link to the victim or the witness going to the police. I want to know if the grad student was ever questioned by police. Paterno seems to be a middle man in all this. the people ABOVE Paterno who were supposed to handle it I do lay plenty of blame on.

Uhm Joe Paterno is not the victim. As I said read the grand jury report. EVERYONE involved in it, those who testified including Paterno, the president, the 2 administrators are gone from the school. Based on the history of the perpetrator with the university there is nothing to convince me these people were not involved in some sort of coverup for the sake of their precious school and football program. What the grad student told Paterno was pretty graphic. So again what I am hearing you say is Paterno did "enough" so he has no culpablity. Thats the same reasoning the students have been using. And yes he did. But let me ask you, are you satisfied with your leaders simply doing "enough". And if Paterno did not believe he shared some culpabiity for not pushing this incident harder, why is he now acknowledging he should have done more? Or is it just lip service

Edited November 11, 201114 yr by JaneAusten

I'm sorry. If I were a athletic coach and was told that a child had been sexually assaulted, and did NOT contact campus police or the town police, told the coach involved to not do it on campus again (basically saying 'do that somewhere else'), wait ten - fifteen years to speak on these horrible accusations, then release a statement saying 'I wish I had done more' now, then tell the BORs that 'I WILL retire at the end of the season', only to be forced out because I was thinking of myself.....I can see why so many around he country would have it in on me.

Besides, I keep asking he very same question....if this were my child, and this is how it was handled, I would want ALL HEADS to roll, and wouldn't be thinking about how this would affect anyone on staff. My child was attacked, and this is what was done?

Joe got exactly what he deserved. And he better be glad right now that he has not been locked up (just yet).

I'm sorry. If I were a athletic coach and was told that a child had been sexually assaulted, and did NOT contact campus police or the town police, told the coach involved to not do it on campus again (basically saying 'do that somewhere else'), wait ten - fifteen years to speak on these horrible accusations, then release a statement saying 'I wish I had done more' now, then tell the BORs that 'I WILL retire at the end of the season', only to be forced out because I was thinking of myself.....I can see why so many around he country would have it in on me.

Besides, I keep asking he very same question....if this were my child, and this is how it was handled, I would want ALL HEADS to roll, and wouldn't be thinking about how this would affect anyone on staff. My child was attacked, and this is what was done?

Joe got exactly what he deserved. And he better be glad right now that he has not been locked up (just yet).

I will defend Paterno here in that he did report it to people at PSU. THats why people are claiming his firing was unfair. I think the issue a lot of us have is that going by the book did not resolve anything. And its not just Paterno there are a number of people a PSU who did the same thing , followed the book. But if Paterno was just a follow by the book man, would he be such a legend and icon now. Thats I think where people are disappointed in him. I just feel when the real test of leadership came he failed. Its easy to do whats popular with he masses and be called a legends. It harder to do whats unpopular which would have been bucking the university process and doing what was best for the children.

By the way, according to this PSU were likely in violation of the Clery Act. The worst penalty would be the school losing their financial aid

http://www.standard.net/stories/2011/11/11/penn-state-might-have-broken-federal-law

Paterno should have called the campus and local police. He didn't. And that is now the tip of the iceberg. As soon as he found out that an incident had been swept under the rug, he should have acted. He didn't.

I, personally, cannot and will not defend any of his actions. I just can't...when children were involved.

Edited November 11, 201114 yr by Roman

I think that shows that some, just some, of our younger generation needs to look outside what they want and feel, and think about the huge picture. There are innocents that went through hell, and will continue to go through it. A coach and a football game ranks rather low in that equation.

I agree with all else you have said, but I don't think this has anything to do with "younger generation". If anything I'd stereotypically say more older generation people would see it as something not to talk about--there's a marked greater knowledge of the effects of sexual abuse, and being open to talk about it, in younger generations. The tendency to sweep it under the ug, and especially when it involves boys to "accept it like a man" is something that has stuck around for a long time.

I really can't get over that anyone defends him--I saw some of The Talk's discussion of it, and while I am not a Sharon osbourne fan she was right when she pointed out that many see him now as this poor old man, who frankly doesn't seem completely there--but he wasn't an old clueless man back when it happened, and regardless if he is in such a state now why should he be coaching a football team anyway.

Edited November 18, 201114 yr by EricMontreal22