Are you kidding me? You don’t think JoePa could not fire (or have fired) anyone for any reason?
When the President of the University showed up a few years ago at his door to tell him it was time for him to go, he polited told them don’t fall down the steps as you leave.
Joe’s power was virtually absolute at PSU.
Protecting the “program” trumped protecting kids, nothing more complicated than this. I have no doubt anyone who said or did anything that threated the program would have found themselves unemployed at the least, personally destroyed at the worst.
Which is why, I do believe that as more stones get uncovered you will find that the State College Police were also likely involved in covering this stuff up as well. That is conjecture on my point, I freely admit, but I would say odds are better than even as sunlight shines on this mess, that that will come out.
That's where I'm thinking that things are getting paranoid.