[Athos]

An incredible comment on American society when a football program, even as prominent and admirable as Penn State, puts that program above children being sexually abused by one of its more successful coaches - Jerry Sandusky, defensive coordinator for many years including Penn States' two national titles.

The cover-up is despicable and will surely be the downfall of Joe Paterno, the winningest head coach in college football history. If ever there were a cautionary tale, this is it.

[paraclete]

Fact is paedophiles are everywhere and all activities with children must be closely watched.

[Athos]

fact is paedophiles are everywhere and all activities with children must be closely watched.

Yes, but not my point.

The leadership of one of the most admired institutions in the US put the football program ahead of the children being abused. They must have taken a page from the Catholic Church book - Child Abuse For Dummies.

[excon]

Hello A:

I hope the victims sue the school for EVERYTHING its got, and then go after the enablers personally - including Joe Paterno.

excon

[paraclete]

What makes you think these attitudes are confined to the Catholic Church. They exist everywhere that paedophiles have managed to penetrate organisations. They need to carefully examine the motives of the protecter here, they may find another paedophile

[Athos]

to Paraclete -

I don't think these attitudes are confined to the Catholic Church - where did I say that?

My point - again - is that basic values are enormously skewed when money is involved. Penn State's football program is worth just this side of 100 million a year. A few abused children apparently don't measure up to that figure.

[tomder55]

I don't excuse it from the Catholic Church or from Penn State. Paterno was made aware of this situation years ago and inexplicably retained the scum on his coaching staff . Shockingly unacceptable.. Forget sue. I want criminal charges on the enablers.

[HotHoneyVintage]

I love Penn STate football!

[tomder55]

How do you feel about that red headed coward who will now be the coach... who saw the perv in the act and only did what was "legally required " ?

[ScottGem]

I don't excuse it from the Catholic Church or from Penn State. Paterno was made aware of this situation years ago and inexplicably retained the scum on his coaching staff . Shockingly unacceptable .. Forget sue. I want criminal charges on the enablers.

It might help if you checked the facts before you condemn someone.

That Sandusky was no longer a member of Paterno's staff when he was made aware of the abuse. The facts are that Paterno reported the incident (which was reported to him, not witnessed by him) to the Penn State AD, which was going through the proper channels. It was reported shortly after it was reported to him.

It was the AD and school VP, who covered up the incident and didn't, properly, report it to police. And they ARE facing criminal charges. Where Paterno was at fault here was for not following up. Since Sandusky was not charged for the abuse, Paterno should have pursued it further. But then so should the coach who reported it to him.

What I find curious here is why the coverup. Sandusky was NOT an employee of Penn State at the time. He had use of the facilities as a Professor Emeritus. Immediate action would not have made the school look as bad as it does now.

And why is that coach a "coward". By the accounts I've seen he immediately reported it. Why is it wrong to go through channels. Maybe he just trusted his superiors to also do the right thing. Maybe he assumed that proper action was being taken. I agree that he should have followed up, but I think calling him a coward is going too far.

[tomder55]

Mike McQueary saw this guy in action . Instead of taking immediate action he allowed the perv to continue to sexually assault a kid ;only did the minimum necessary to report him ;and has worked for years after in the organization ;seeing Sandusky ;knowing he was a predator ,and not taking a stand .

McQueary will be coaching the team tomorrow. SHAME on PENN STATE!
And shame on those students who rioted in defense of Paterno.

[ScottGem]

Mike McQueary saw this guy in action . Instead of taking immediate action he allowed the perv to continue to sexually assault a kid ;only did the minimum necessary to report him ;and has worked for years after in the organization ;seeing Sandusky ;knowing he was a predator ,and not taking a stand .

McQueary will be coaching the team tomorrow. SHAME on PENN STATE!
And shame on those students who rioted in defense of Paterno.

I've just done a little more research on this. I'm having a hard time faulting McQueary. At the time he witnessed the incident he was a young grad assistant. He was shocked by what he saw. Should he have rushed into the shower and stopped it? Maybe, but he reported it according to procedure. I'm not sure what I would have done in the same circumstance, are you?

[tomder55]

Update:McQueary was ordered to stay away from tomorrows game .

I've just done a little more research on this. I'm having a hard time faulting McQueary. At the time he witnessed the incident he was a young grad assistant. He was shocked by what he saw. Should he have rushed into the shower and stopped it? Maybe, but he reported it according to procedure. I'm not sure what I would have done in the same circumstance, are you?

I'd like to think I would've stopped it or get some assistance to do so. I'm about the same size as McQueary ;maybe a few inches shorter .

I would not have worked there for years after seeing the guy ;knowing what he did ;and not pressing the issue. I would not say "I did the minimum required so I'm covered ".

[ScottGem]

I would not have worked there for years after seeing the guy ;knowing what he did ;and not pressing the issue. I would not say "I did the minimum required so I'm covered ".

But did he "see the guy". I did read that Sandusky had his keys taken away. Did he continue to hang around on campus, show up for games, especially with young boys? I don't know. If that was happening then I agree that all those who knew of the incident should have followed up.

But I'm not going to say that reporting it through the proper channels and trusting them to take the proper action was wrong.

[tomder55]

But did he "see the guy".

See "Victim #2" on the Grand Jury report (if you can stomach it)

http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/uploa...resentment.pdf

[excon]

Hello tom:

Different people act differently... If it was you or me, we WOULD have stopped the molester. We would DO the right thing no matter the personal consequences. Others aren't so brave. This guy went home to daddy. Daddy went to HIS daddy, and nobody DID anything, and nobody looked any further... They're ALL guilty. And, there's 100's of them.

In my view, this boils down to MONEY... Somewhere along the way, MONEY became more important than human beings.. I submit, the reason nobody said anything was MONEY!! Certainly the kid who told Paterno, told other people... And, they told others... Hundreds, if not thousands of people KNEW! It's a CULTURE of corruption over MONEY.

Does it relate to OWS?? You tell me.

excon

[ballengerb1]

Yes Joe has some responsibility here but the AD and the VP did the real harm. Joe is not legally required or responsible for stopping any abuse act but he must report it, which he did. The cover up by the AD and the VP was the real telling issue here. They sent a message to Joe, "shut up and do your job" Those two guys are criminallly liable and should be prosecuted.

[Wondergirl]

Isn't an educator or someone working in a responsible position at an academic institution ethically and even morally obliged to report sexual abuse to the police, institutional hierarchy be damned?

[tomder55]

WG exactly... plus everyone knows what Paterno's power and influence in the school was . Please.. He is the one that could've made a difference.

[ballengerb1]

In this situation Joe was not the mandated report. His assistant was and technically the one who broke the law. What is being about his failure to report?