Re: “The board did the right thing. Have you ever sat on a board? They are liable for this kind of stuff.”
The Board admits openly that it did not even research the facts before acting. It said yesterday (per today’s newspaper) that it was going to investigate and discover all the facts. In other words, they scapegoated Paterno to gratify a media lynch mob.
Paterno did exactly what he was supposed to do. I can tell you from personal experience what happens when you do “more” as his detractors suggest. I saw on a very prominent pro-life Web site an accusation that a named doctor and hospital had left a baby (as defined by law) to die from neglect. I forwarded that Web page to the hospital regulatory agency of the state in question, which discovered the accusation to be false. The Web site owner was therefore lucky to not be sued for libel along with the source of the allegation.
If Paterno had gone outside channels to call Sandusky a kiddie diddler, or even imply he was one, and had been proven wrong, he and Penn State would have been hit with one huge libel suit. He doubtlessly assumed the University’s attorneys would make sure it was handled properly. Greg Schultz (in charge of campus security, but indicted for perjury) is the one who let it drop through the cracks, apparently without involving counsel.
Paterno therefore exercised good stewardship by taking the matter through the prescribed channels, including the person in charge of campus security, as opposed to being a loose cannon like the chest-beating beer-muscled columnists and talk show hosts would have had him do. The Trustees therefore exercised bad stewardship by firing him. Do you KNOW how many millions of dollars in alumni support (that’s per year) they just threw away with their action?
Like I said, I’ve more or less been there myself. Allegation of a serious felony from a seemingly trustworthy source, proven false, exposure to major libel suit. That was why I sent it “through channels” and didn’t circulate it via Free Republic or elsewhere, or even to the police in the city in question. I knew I wasn’t an eyewitness and the police would probably not be interested in hearsay. This doesn’t mean I did nothing, and Paterno also did something; something prudent and responsible instead of turning into a loose cannon.
Also, remember those 88 faculty members at Duke who felt they had to do “more” about an alleged sex crime? Well, their names are now online forever and in a very bad context.
He could have easily made an anonymous tip to the police. The fact seems to be that he knew about these activities and chose to ignore them. To enable them. Was it Paterno who offered McQeary the job of QB coach? Was it in exchange for his silence on Sandusky?
How many children were raped after that day?
They are all guilty IMO.
Let’s personalize this a little.
If your son were molested by this guy years after this situation occurred, you would not hold the the other people somewhat responsbile?
Now a little moral question, what would you fail to report for fear of a lawsuit or losing your job? Rape, murder, child rape?
You really can't be this dumb!
Sandusky had a HISTORY of child abuse and it was witnessed.
NOW PSU has some serious lawsuits coming it's way for the actions Patreno DIDN'T take.
. This doesn’t mean I did nothing, and Paterno also did something; something prudent and responsible instead of turning into a loose cannon...
...look, this whole thing is very simple...and it has little to do with whether Paterno did the right or wrong thing...the truth is, he was the acknowledged leader of the PSU football program, the captain of the ship...and what happens to the captain of a ship that runs aground and costs the ship’s owners money and prestige? He is terminated, whether or not he caused the accident...there are many instances of bus drivers, tug boat skippers, and other such types being relieved of duty after accidents even though it can’t be proved they were the immediate cause...do you think Captain Smith of the Titanic would have retained his postion had he survived...or just think of the officers who walked the plank after the Tailhook incident, some who weren’t even there, yet suffered ignominy...nobody ever said being the head of an operation would be easy...or even fair...as it is often neither...
thank you for a very informative and articulate post.
You present some very valid points.
It had enough facts...in fact, if you look just past the "Intro" of the Grand Jury Presentment, you'll see the heading, "Finding of Fact."
And you'll see enough on p. 7 from Paterno to "hang himself" job wise.
If you were a owner of a given company, and your key manager had an incredible positive record, but helter skelter suddenly broke loose under his watch and you discover he concedes to a fire-able offense, guess what? You fire him!
You don't have to immediately come up with a comprehensive checklist to try to retrieve your company from helter skelter. You clean house; and then put it in order.
Now let's very briefly look at what Paterno himself did as a "volunteer goat"...
#1 Dereliction of duty.
When a person in a position of trust and authority fails to ensure that a college to report campus criminal offenses, they have failed to comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (the Clery Act).
This act doesn't mandate that this info be passed on to "superiors"; rather, it it mandates that the college reports it.
Paterno can speak; write; talk. He knows how to communicate. If you're an officer in battle and the one you report to within your platoon turns yellow and stops fighting, it doesn't mean you retreat into a fox hole until your leaders decide to act like leaders. No, you're an officer, too. You need to pick up the slack, mister.
This wussy 'tudinalness' that people project past-tense onto Paterno wouldn't even survive a hot summer day of his own football training readiness reps he's imposed on his players. Man up and quit yellow xcusing.
#2 He violated lack of responsibility ethics mandated by the NCAA under its bylaws...
2.4, for example...the NCAA prez has said he is going to wait for the Penn State criminal investigations to finish before they come in to impose ethical violations per their bylaws.
But just because the NCAA is going to wait, it was already as plain as day to the Board of Trustees that Paterno had ethical breeches under 2.4 of the NCAA bylaws: The Principles of Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct. For intercollegiate athletics to promote the character development of participants, to enhance the integrity of higher education and to promote civility in society, student-athletes, coaches, and all others associated with these athletics programs and events should adhere to such fundamental values as respect, fairness, civility, honesty and responsibility. These values should be manifest not only in athletics participation but also in the broad spectrum of activities affecting the athletics program.
Paterno failed on both the responsibility and honesty ethics. Secrets remain sequestered away at the expense of boys.
#3 Moral lapses
There seems to be near unanimity here, so I won't belabor this too much.
Think of any felony committed in the showers of Penn State that Paterno finds out about almost instantly...and then tell me why it's not a good reason to rescue the victim.
Domestic abuse? What? The beater won't beat again?
Murder & body disposal? What? Is reporting this to your superiors "enough"?
The rape of a 10 yo girl in progress? (One of the few things missing here is feminists jumping all over Penn State's case...had they done this, look out!)