If you haven’t heard by now, Penn State University is in serious hot water as former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky has been indicted on charges of sexually abusing eight boys over the last fifteen years. Just tonight, athletic director Tim Curley and school administrator Gary Schultz have stepped down from their positions at the school. Curley has been charged with perjury and failure to report child abuse in relation to the Sandusky scandal.
I won’t go into extreme details about the case, but Deadspin has a good timeline of what has happened. The main concern of the article is this: In 2002, legendary head coach Joe Paterno was informed by a graduate assistant, current wide receivers coach Mitch McQueary, that he had witnessed Sandusky engaging in “disturbing” and “inappropriate” conduct with an underage boy. Paterno then followed the chain of command and told Curley about the alleged incident. Another part of the report says Sandusky brought one of the victims to a Penn State practice in 2007, or five years after Paterno learned of the incident from McQueary. Do the actions of Paterno during this warrant a removal from the University?
This isn’t even a college athletics scandal. This is a scandal involving morality and the harming of innocent youth. If I understand everything correctly (and I probably don’t but bear with me), Paterno did what he was obligated to do according to law. However, this brings the morality question back into play. When it became apparent that Sandusky was still allowed to associate with the Penn State program and underage boys, why did Paterno not push for Curley to look into the incident deeper? Or was Paterno told that steps were being made to resolve the problem?
There have been a lot of people calling for a clean state at Penn State, which would include the removal of Paterno. A firing is extremely unlikely, but a gentle nudge toward “retirement” or a resignation could be possible. This is a black mark on the entire university and it will not be resolved for a long time.
Deep down, I want to believe that Paterno did everything in his power to make sure that Sandusky was met with proper charges, especially with how vital Paterno is to charities in Pennsylvania. However, the reports allege that Paterno went no further than alerting Curley. If Paterno did not reach out to police when it became apparent that the university was not acting on the alleged allegations, then how could he keep his job? If he knew of these allegations, why did he stay silent?
Basically, it comes down to this. Did Paterno do enough to try to prevent any of the alleged incidents from happening? In my mind, if he did not, he should resign his job. However, if it becomes clear that Paterno did everything in his power to alert the proper authorities, he should not be removed from Penn State.
Do you think Paterno should keep his job or should he resign/retire? Let us know in the comments.
Riley, your 10 year old brother was just seen in the shower being raped by a adult male. The adult who saw this did not stop the act he did not call the police he told the head football coach who did not call the police he told his boss. The head football coach kept the rapist working with children for 3 more years where he assualted the rest of your brothers. Should the football coach get fired?
In absolutely no way am I condoning what happened. It’s disturbing on levels that I can’t even fathom. I personally think he “resigns”. The only way I can see him keeping his job is if it comes out that Paterno was repeatedly told by his higher ups that the issue was being taken care of. Even then, he’s on extremely shaky ground.
It’s a sad way for a legendary career to end.
Joe should not have to resign. The actions were of a former coach, and reported the actions to his superior for the University to investigate. The other gentlemen in charge should resign, be fired, or be suspended in lieu of the investigation indefinitely.
It is abominable to think that someone would not report these incidents to police, as it appears was the case with Shutz and curley.
If Paterno did not make a police report, he should be fired. Period. Anyone at Penn State that knew of alleged incident and did not report it to police should be fired. Including the president.
I have had more respect for Joe Paterno than anyone in sports until this. Now I think he makes Jim Tressel look like the “Saint”.
He should absolutely be forced to resign. He was required morally and ethically to do more than simply inform his chain of command of command of this incident. As a leader and a person who stands on high moral ground he needed to deal with this immediately. His coaches and players are his responsibility. He allowed this abuse to continue. He should have asked the spcifics of what happened, reported the behavior to the authorities and if necessary resigned his position at that time. Instead he hid behind the university president and let Sandusky continue to prey on children. He should not be allowed to coach another game.
Its pretty obvious that Coach Paterno knew of at least one Sandusky incident, and did nothing other then report it to the AD. Its hard to understand why he did nothing thereafter to follow-up after he reported.
We are not talking about a recruiting violation here, we’re talking about a rape of at least 1 minor that Paterno know about. He should resign NOW! Better yet, the university should FIRE him!
Of course he should resign. Old Pa was concerned about his legacy, he is a disgrace, and a fraud
Steelblitz: Why is it only not equally abominale that Joe Pa didnt report it to authorities? He had the same knowledge. He should have resigned yesterday. What would you have expected if the victim was your son? Worse thing in the world for Penn State is to let this linger. Cut the head off and move on. Take the high road. Too late to salvage Joe Pa.
Resign, are kidding me ! I work in a office and just saw my associate shoot another one of our staff. I told my boss and I went home…..
Resign?? You gotta be kidding. When you do nothing your just as guilty. This was a child who was raped….he should be shot in my book. He knew it was going on, did he call the police, a social worker, no one told some one higher…not his problem. He should go to jail with the rest of the cover up team!
Resign. Kids were molested for years by his trusted assistant coach and friend on university’s campus. Are you kidding me??? Forget football we talking about protecting kids here. I have 2 little boys on my own and can’t imagine what those parents of abused kids are going thru. As a matter of fact if everything checks out and criminal investigation determines he did not do enough to stop this he should spent the rest of what life he has left in Penn state prison next to his boy Sandusky.
I understand that kids have been hurt abused ect… By no means is this Joe Pa fault or should he be brought into this. His job is and should be safe, and has NOTHING to do with him or his JOB. He did what he should have done and what is in his JOB discription to do (CHAIN OF COMMAND). He went to his boss told him what he was told by a witness a 22 year old grad student. He did not witness the event The grad student that did witness the event should have called the authorities while it was happening (WTF) if in fact this was happening and he in fact did witness this. Why the grad student did not save the child is way beyond me to even think of at this point. We are all asking that question. This happened in 2002 and nothing till 9 years later DO ANY you really think this was thought about again by Jo Pa he as well as I would have thought it was handled. The grad student may have not seen what he thought he saw whatever Jo Pa left it in the Hands of his chain of command. Screw anybody that does not believe he did the right thing. Again Why the hell would have not the grad student helped out or gone to the propper authority as he was witnessing this ???????. According to what I have read the child was 10 years old. Asking for Jo Pa to give up his career and the things he stands for and the things he has DONE for PENN STATE The Kids he has HELPED because he passed along what was told to him by a supposedly witness to a crime is Far beyond my grasp ! He did what he was told to do and did what he thought was the right thing. Sorry you all think diffrently and I am SURE had I witnessed this I would have called the authorities on the spot and gotten involved right then and there. This sounds so fishy to me sad way to OUST a GREAT coach total BS.
Sandusky will get to rot in hell. ALL others with knowledge – Spanier, Joe, curley, McQuery to the janitor, and all in between – get to succeed elsewhere.