Madden: Sandusky a State Secret (Penn State Scandal)

Beaver County Times ^ | April 3, 2011 | Mark Madden

[Scoutmaster]

The Jerry Sandusky situation seems a matter of failure to connect certain dots, or perhaps unwillingness in that regard. Lots of people besides the former Penn State defensive coordinator have some explaining to do.

Allegations of improper conduct with an underage male first surfaced in 1998, while Sandusky was still employed by Penn State. That incident allegedly occurred in a shower at Penn State's on-campus football facility. No charges were filed.

Sandusky retired the next year, in 1999. He was 55, prime age for a coach. Odd, to say the least - especially with Joe Paterno thought even then to be ready to quit and Sandusky a likely, openly-discussed successor.

It seems logical to ask: What did Paterno know, and when did he know it? What did Penn State's administration know, and when did they know it?

Best-case scenario: Charges are never brought, and Sandusky walks away with his reputation permanently scarred. The rumors, the jokes, the sideways glances - they won't ever stop. Paterno and Penn State do the great escape . Worst-case scenario: Sandusky is charged. Then it seems reasonable to wonder: Did Penn State not make an issue of Sandusky's alleged behavior in 1998 in exchange for him walking away from the program at an age premature for most coaches? Did Penn State's considerable influence help get Sandusky off the hook? Don't kid yourself. That could happen. Don't underestimate the power of Paterno and Penn State in central Pennsylvania when it comes to politicians, the police and the media.

In 1999, Penn State was rid of Sandusky. His rep was unblemished, which allowed him to continue running a charitable foundation that gave him access to underage males. To be a volunteer assistant with a high school football team, thus gaining access to underage males.

If Paterno and Penn State knew, but didn't act, instead facilitating Sandusky's untroubled retirement - are Paterno and Penn State responsible for untoward acts since committed by Sandusky? This is far from an outrageous hypothesis, especially given the convenient timeline.

Initially accused in 1998. Retires in 1999. Never coaches college football again. Sandusky was very successful at what he did. The architect of Linebacker U. Helped win national championships in 1982 and 1986. Recognized as college football's top assistant in 1986 and 1999.

Never any stories about Sandusky being pursued for a high-profile job. Never any rumors about him coming out of retirement. But there's no shortage of stories and rumors about Penn State football sweeping problems under the rug, is there?

Why did college football let an accomplished coach like Sandusky walk away at 55? Why did he disappear into relative anonymity? A grand jury, spurred by a complaint made by a 15-year-old boy in 2009, has been investigating Sandusky for 18 months. Witnesses include Paterno and Penn State athletic director Tim Curley. Interviewing Paterno about a subject like this had to have been one of the single most uncomfortable acts in the history of jurisprudence.

Plenty of questions remain yet unanswered. Potentially among them: What's more important, Penn State football or the welfare of a few kids?

You might not want to hear the answer.

[Scoutmaster]

Note the date of this article: April 3, 2011. Seven months ago, before the start of this NCAA football season. This early article talks openly about Sanduksy's problems in 1998 were not a secret revealed by the November 5, Grand Jury report. Apparently they were known among the Penn State athletic family and those who reported on it.

Random thoughts:

The Grand Jury had been meeting since fall of 2009. Grand juries don't meet daily and DAs control the timing of indictment and meetings, often for political purposes. It is too cynical to wonder whether, after eighteen months, this report waiting until Joe Paterno won his all-time NCAA Div i 409th win on October 30th?

Look at the first comment to this article, by Michael 5148 on April 4, 2001:

This has got to be the worst piece of journalism I have ever seen. What knowledge do you have of this? I am unsubscribing from this newspaper solely because of this rag of an article.

Or MarkPA on April 5:

"Oh, you mean the rumors Madden has no problem throwing out whether or not they are based in fact? This typical character assassination is something that never should have seen the light of day, and it's a shame the Times sees no problems still writing this guy a check to put out unsubstantiated garbage like this."

Michael, are you possibly one of the Penn State students and fans who have never read the Grand Jury Presentment or the Grand Jury Report, but rioted last night when Joe Paterno was fired?

I lost a hero this week. I don't think I've lost the homemade Penn State football helmet from my childhood. I called my mother last night and she said it she thinks it's in the basement (she doesn't throw anything away). And I've gained something from this; some new-found cynicism:

This line from earlier in the week, when Joe Paterno thought he was retiring at the end of the season:

I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.

Ah, Joe, if only those pre-teen boys had been officially 'entrusted to your care."

And this recruiting letter from then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary, who is now a coach for Penn State and the head of recruiting:

[Libloather]

Sandusky had long been expected to succeed Paterno, and he reportedly turned down jobs at Marshall, Temple and Maryland in hopes the aging coach would soon retire. But Paterno came to feel that Sandusky was spending too much of his time on The Second Mile, and he told his assistant around May 1999 that Sandusky would not be the next head coach at Penn State.

“Joe had said, `You can’t do both, you can’t have two masters,”’ Paterno’s son, Scott, recalled earlier this week.

Sandusky cited his desire to devote more time to The Second Mile when he took early retirement following the 1999 season. But even though he was not particularly close with Paterno, he remained a familiar sight around the Penn State football complex. He was given an office in the East Area Locker building, across the street from the football building, as part of his retirement package, and would bring Second Mile kids around the football facilities.

“There were times where I was around his Second Mile kids, and to me what it seemed was a great program,” Scott said.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-pennstate-abuse-sandusky

[BunnySlippers]

Very interesting. Thanks.

[BunnySlippers]

Paterno knew way back then. And did nothing.

[Graybeard58]

I may be the most disinterested person about foot ball that exists but I have heard the name Paterno and associated it with foot ball. Can you tell me briefly, what he is accused of? Cover up?

I could probably just read one of the hundreds of articles posted about this subject but am not that interested. If no one wants to tell me because I am an anti foot ball fan, that's cool too.

[Shannon]

What really disturbs me is that when Sandusky was retired in 1999 with no police notification, he was given free rein to continue his horrific acts with gusto.

Evidently Penn State was only concerned about their risk and NOT any harm to children. Otherwise they would have stipulated that he could no longer operate a charitable foundation with unlimited access to......little boys. Considering that he never took another coaching job I have to wonder if that was agreed upon when he "retired".

It's looking like in 1999 Penn State released a predator on into society. It wouldn't surprise me, when all is said & done, if the number of boys ends up at 100 or more. Penn State, you'd better call your banker. I have a feeling you're about to be writing some checks.

[texaschick]

“Michael, are you possibly one of the Penn State students and fans who have never read the Grand Jury Presentment or the Grand Jury Report, but rioted last night when Joe Paterno was fired?”

I imagine if you were to ask any of the rioting students, or maybe just any student there on campus, they would say that yes, Paterno maybe should have followed up on the complaint, “done more” as Joe put it, but..... There should be no “but”. There is just a period, end of sentence. Paterno and all the people involved with this need to lose their jobs as they are ultimately representatives of the university.

[Wolfie]

One theory, and just a theory, is that the media and Grand Jury held off until Paterno broke the winningest coach record.

[ltc8k6]

http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/uploadedFiles/Press/Sandusky-Grand-Jury-Presentment.pdf

Grand jury report - WARNING GRAPHIC!

[ltc8k6]

And let Sandusky keep showering with children?

[Erik Latranyi]

This all goes back to Spanier.

Spanier came to Penn State with a homosexual agenda. In his years, Penn State has earned numerous awards from the LGBT community.

Under Spanier, Penn State conducted “Sex in the Dark”, “Pleasure Party”, created an LGBT Division of its Student Affairs Department, Pride Week, a gay fraternity and you can earn a minor in Sexuality and Gender Studies.

Spanier is credited with making Penn State one of the top LGBT-friendly schools in the nation.

If Spanier embraced the full homosexual agenda, then he embraced the concept that minors can grant sexual consent.

[rbg81]

With things like this, there are always two stories:
1. The one you tell everybody
2. What really happened

[Wolfie]

Apparently.

[Humbug]

Can you tell me briefly, what he is accused of? Cover up?

Briefly, then, he is accused of not doing enough when informed by a former player and current (at the time) graduate assistant coach that he had witnessed a terrible scene involving a little boy in one of the locker rooms on campus. There is some discrepancy about what Paterno was told, how much detail was given to him, but at the very least he knew that a grown man, one who Paterno had known and worked with for decades, was seen showering alone with a boy and that something of a sexual nature had occurred between them. He also knew that this man (Sandusky) ran an organization to help disadvantaged kids called Second Mile, thereby giving him access to who knows how many boys. And yet despite this knowledge it appears that Paterno was content to keep the matter in-house, so to speak, instead of turning it over directly to the police. Not only that, but apparently Sandusky continued to frequent the football facilities at Penn State, sometimes showing up at practices with a boy in tow.

[Pietro]

If this entire, sordid affair doesn't make every football fan, let alone Penn State fans, stop and examine their priorities, then we are a sad and pitiable peolple.

I come from Sandusky's home town. He was a legend there.

I've met the man. He was (or appeared to be) everything good and upstanding; tall, good-looking, clean, personable, out-going, easy to talk w/, a great athlete and an even better coach. He was Linebacker U. He was a source of pride for our football crazy town.

To say that we are shocked and devastated is an understatement, but its what happens when folks focus soley on the external; only on the glory and refuse delivery on anything that could challenge our pride.

We've just gotten smacked in our blind spot by an I-Beam.

But, of course, this isn't about us football fans, its about the world we live and work in. Its about power, prestige and self-preservation. And most important, its about vulnerable, innocent children being abused, and then thrown away, by men whose charge was their welfare; a betrayal of our very humanity.

I am ashamed.

[angcat]

That’s what happens when football is more important than human life.

[jocon307]

This is a great post, thank you. I was wondering how a lengthy investigation like this could be kept secret and the results seem to be such a shock.

However, right now the biggest mystery to me is why that assistant coach (or whatever he is) who was the witness to the attack in the shower seems to be being held harmless.

Nobody is calling for him to be fired, or asking why he didn’t pursue things. So I’m wondering about that.

I’m very glad they got rid of the President and the other post about his gay agenda was also informative. I read a post on some sports site the other day and the writer was saying “sodomy” like it was a bad word (which it is, of coure); and it made me think - is this guy going to get slammed for using the gay lifestyle as a slur.

But this time he won’t I venture. I love how the left gets to have everything both ways.

[I cannot think of a name]

One thing that does not seem to be mentioned in any of these stories, and it really bugs me:

The guy is seen in the shower sodomizing a 12 year old boy: monster, deviant, freak, must report to the police, must crucify.

The guy is seen in the shower sodomizing a 18 year old boy: rights, freedom, understanding, equality, acceptance.

Smells like BS to me.

The act seems the same, regardless of the age. Sick is sick, deviant is deviant, no ‘rights’ are involved. But as soon as this passes from the headlines, it will be back to ‘rights’ and ‘justice’ for people that want to engage in basically the same behavior. And it is BS.

[LearnsFromMistakes]

What does this say about government unions, the tenure system, and the culture within colleges? all government unions? Isn’t this one of the powers that they have asked for - the ability to deal with problem employees in their own way? Had this stuff come out 2 weeks earlier, I doubt the Ohio ‘pro-union’ vote would have gone the same way...unless no one discusses the Penn State issue in this light.

[dirtboy]

It's just an adjunct to the entire corrupt system of big-time college athletics.

I have known college atheletes who did not show up for class and still passed the class. Who stole textbooks and sold them for cash. And that's just what I saw as a student with little connection to the inside other than knowing a couple of the atheletes personally.

The entire system is sick because it exists in a state of deliberate denial. We need three levels of college atheletics - pro (paid above the table), semi-pro (scholarship and training table/bennies) and truly amatuer (maybe scholarship only or no scholarship). The first step to cleaning this up is to admit that those three levels alread exist and the professional aspect of college athletics therefore exists in the shadows - and it cannot be properly policed until it is out in the sunlight. The same shadows of looking the other way over petty corruption are those that allowed the Sandusky matter to fester for so long in the dark. The only reason the Penn State board took action is because this finally came out into the open. But the other corruption will continue to fester.