Joe Paterno to resign at end of season

[Sheldonrs]

Bottom line, if a child is in danger or even if you just SUSPECT a child is in danger, YOU CALL THE COPS FIRST! Not your boss and then wait for further instructions.

[Nirvana]

<whs double

[Rrrraven]

Originally Posted by Sheldonrs

Bottom line, if a child is in danger or even if you just SUSPECT a child is in danger, YOU CALL THE COPS FIRST! Not your boss and then wait for further instructions.

Right on. What I see consistently are schools who have a policy or procedure in place that says if you suspect child abuse or neglect you report to your superior or a designated person - like the school counselor and then they report or make the decision to report or not. The problem with handing your information off to someone else is that it becomes second or third hand information - you may feel better for reporting but it doesn't always get called in. Most mandated reporter laws are pretty clear. You suspect, you report. Period.

The crimes committed in PA don't surprise me one bit, it's happening right now all over the country. What I find surprising is the discussion in the media and in the streets of State College, PA pondering the firings, folks getting angry because someone or another lost their job - actual discussion/questioning about who is responsible or not. I find it pretty horrific that anyone would question holding responsible every single person who knew of the abuse and did not report to the authorities.

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by Sheldonrs

Bottom line, if a child is in danger or even if you just SUSPECT a child is in danger, YOU CALL THE COPS FIRST! Not your boss and then wait for further instructions.

The law down here requires that. If you're any kind of teacher, child-supervisor, medical professoinal or have any other contact with a child, if you have grounds to SUSPECT child abuse you MUST report it to an appropriate authority - principal, boss, police. Failure to do so is a criminal act.

As it should be.

[tw]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

The law down here requires that. If you're any kind of teacher, child-supervisor, medical professoinal or have any other contact with a child, if you have grounds to SUSPECT child abuse you MUST report it to an appropriate authority - principal, boss, police. Failure to do so is a criminal act.

But was that the law and the public attitude in 1997 when this event happened?

Somewhere before or after this event is when Sandusky suddenly resigned. I am unsure of that timeline.

[BigV]

Interim Penn State coach takes helm with 'mixed emotions'

Congrats jim.

don't worry, you'll grow on him.

[tw]

There are far too many loose ends in this story.

First, Sandusky mysteriously quit. To take on a head coach job that he could have easily obtained? Because he was too old? Because Paterno was retiring? None of the above. He quit in a manner similar to what would happen when fired discretely. As if allegations existed that were all but prosecutable. From the time that Sandusky retired, I had always wondered why that retirement suddenly happened for no apparent reason.

Second, a grand jury had investigated a previous Sandusky child molestation accusation. I don't know what the grand jury recommended. But the Center County DA suddenly decided there was insufficient reason to prosecute. Then some months later, his car was found in Lewisburg (Union County), with cigarette butts inside (he did not smoke), and his computer completely disassembled so that even data on the disk drive could not be recovered.

Third, the board of trustees would never fire so many people on the information publically reported. Either they made a decision based 100% emotionally (to protect themselves). Or there are a much larger story behind this entire story.

Fourth, why were so many fired. But the graduate assistant who witnessed the child rape, did nothing, and then waited a full day to report it to anyone. Why is he not among the Trustees victims? Either the Trustees made a decision based in their emotions. Or others (including the long time university president) are even guiltier.

Fifth, Paterno did what he was supposed to do. According to statements made separately by both the graduate assistant and Paterno, Joe had stopped him mid sentence. Told him all this should be reported directly to Joe's superiors. Did not get the full story. And (as best we can tell) made sure his superior knew of the allegations 'first person'. That should have been sufficient if that is all there is to this story. To not even let him finish the season implies this story is much larger.

Too many loose ends. Actions were taken too quickly and with woefully insufficient information if there is not many times more information long known by many. I find it very difficult that all these actions were taken so quickly on so few hard facts and so little guilt.

Apparently, many smoking guns have been hidden. Apparently many knew much more much longer ago. Even the DA's unresolved and sudden disappearance remains suspicious. The timeline does not make any sense.

[Lamplighter]

tw, I'm thinking your Fourth item above, particularly about the graduate assistant, is a bit over the top.

According to the Grand Jury Report, it was this young man's report
to Parterno that started the investigation of Victim#2,
his report to Curley and Shultz that initiated the administration's actions,
and his testimony to the Grand Jury that was persuasive (i.e., "extremely creditable")

He did not "wait a full day to report it to anyone".
The incident was at 9:30 pm on a Friday
He immediately called his father from his office phone, asking his advise.
He met with and reported the incident to Paterno the next morning, Saturday.

Maybe other testimony shows/says something else, but this was the Grand Jury's report.

Some in the news media are vehement this young man, now 28,
should have physically intervened in the incident.
To my mind that is asking an awful lot from an emotionally stricken
18 year-old confronted with such a situation.

I'd suggest the Trustees accepted this Grand Jury's findings, and so had no reason to fire him.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

He did not "wait a full day to report it to anyone". The incident was at 9:30 pm on a Friday
He immediately called his father from his office phone, asking his advise.
He met with and reported the incident to Paterno the next morning, Saturday.

We are saying the same thing. He saw the child being raped. He did not intervene. He called his father for advise. And waited till then next day to report it to anyone - that being Paterno.

If the university president and others did something worse, well, we do not yet have the entire story. McQuaery's (spelling is probably wrong) actions should have gotten him fired if others were only fired for not acting more responsibly. For him to not be fired and for other to be fired implies far more serious charges that we don't know about.

As I understand it, the Grand Jury investigation and a following mysterious disappearance of the DA was about another child rape. But that was not entirely clear.

BTW, if this is all it takes to fire so many top executives, then why is the Pope not resigning for all but condoning far more pedophile attacks. Double standard, The Pope has a friend in high places. How curious. Many of the Pope's friends also wear red.

[piercehawkeye45]

I thought he was 28 at the time? I haven't heard of any 18 year old graduate assistants?

Either way I agree with you Lamplighter. I'm guessing the loyalty in football programs is extremely high and to see a highly respected individual do that would be almost world shattering. It's tough not to criticize since this is the raping of a child but he did report it and the thought of a graduate assistant taking on Joe Paterno and the rest of the Penn State football coaching team/administration is enough to make anyone shit their pants.

[Lamplighter]

PH45, you are right... My mistake about his age. He was 28, not 18.

[ZenGum]

Err, TW, "down here" referred to Australia, and my description was of Australian law.

Most Australian laws do not apply in America.

We have one which might, though - an Australian who goes abroad for child sex tourism has broken Australian law and gets prison when they get back. Even organising this gets prison.

There had been a problem with Australian pedophiles exploiting the very poor in South-East Asia, hence the laws.

[Spexxvet]

Note that Penn State security comes under Senior VIce President for Finanace and Business, Gary Schultz's jurisdiction. In other words, his is campus police.

[Spexxvet]

Sandusky is a monster. The only victims are the children. Paterno should have been allowed to finish the season.

From here

In 1998, the Penn State campus police and local law enforcement authorities investigated an allegation that Jerry Sandusky, then a prominent coach with the university’s football team, had engaged in inappropriate and perhaps sexual conduct with a boy in the football facility’s showers.

A lengthy police report was generated, state prosecutors said. The boy was interviewed. A second potential victim was identified. Child welfare authorities were brought in. Sandusky confessed to showering with one or both of the children. The local district attorney was given material to consider prosecution.

In the end, no prosecution was undertaken. The child welfare agency did not take action. And, according to prosecutors, the commander of the university’s campus police force told his detective, Ronald Schreffler, to close the case.

Timeline

Joe "got rid of" Sandusky in May, 1999. The inaction around the 2002 incident was much more about McQueary, Curley, and Schultz.

Paterno should have been allowed to finish the season.

[tw]

Rather concerning is an investigation started by the Penn State Board of Trustees AFTER they took action.

This story is changing every day. It started with too many loose ends. Now law enforcement (State Police) might have been involved in a coverup or inaction. Police may have been notified, discussed Sandusky accusations with campus police, and did nothing.

Meanwhile we have a nearby high school called Pope John Paul II. Ironic that a pope that all but condoned pedophilia is now the name of a high school in his honor.

Had the Pope been under those Trustees, he also would have been fired.