Posted on 01/05/2012 10:24:10 AM PST by Scoutmaster
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Penn State's board of trustees and president focused on repairing the school's tarnished image and braced for financial backlash in the immediate aftermath of the child sex-abuse scandal that erupted two months ago, going so far as to recommend reminding any outraged donors that they wouldn't get their money back, according to internal memos obtained by The Associated Press.
Four memos sent Nov. 14-18 and released to the AP this week describe the school's scrambling response less than two weeks after former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested on child molestation charges. Two Penn State administrators also were charged with lying to a grand jury and failing to properly report suspected child abuse.
In the first memo, issued nine days after the charges were filed, new school president Rodney Erickson told the 47-member Board of Trustees that the public relations teams of the university and the athletic department had met to "align our messages" and that he had received positive feedback after two network television interviews.
"This is another indication that we are taking control of the narrative of our story," Erickson wrote.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.go.com ...
It is fair to criticize the board for things like that. The original post criticizes the board for trying to do their job. I would go further to say the PC atmosphere at PSU and other colleges reap nothing but bitter fruit.
If there were an award for taglines then I’d like to nominate you.
I specifically acknowledged that a Board of Trustees is a governing body and has an interest in perserving the image and financial stability of the institution. Some posters appear to believe that is the sole responsibility. I’m not entirely naive, having sat in on and advised some large boards of directors in cases involving federal criminal investigations. Sometimes boards also take actions because they are right at significant short-term financial cost. I’ve seen it done.
I was surprised that alumni and other gifts and donations tripled in the approximately three weeks after the indictments If there were an indictment of two employees of the Republican National Committee for covering up the homosexual child rape by a retired employee at RNC headquarters, I would be surprised to see contributions to the Republicans immediately triple.
I doubt that would happen at the Red Cross or even Planned Parenthood under similar circumstances. But it did at Penn State.
And, your comments about the PSU board are on the money.
The Pennsylvania ping list has nothing to do with you and is not specific to Penn State matter.
But being paranoid, are they or aren't they out to get me? That I ask in jest. But I am looking behind the chair.
Some of them agree with you in whole or part.
I was working yesterday when this was posted and missed it until now. Do you know if someone is compiling a ping list for Sandusky updates?
If you want on it, however, you'll get a lot of other Pa. related items.
No, I don’t want to be on the PA ping list. Thanks anyway. Sorry to bother you.
No prob.
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