Few scandals have provoked the ire of parents, football fans, the sports world and the nation in the profound way that the already infamous Penn State child sex abuse scandal has. Former assistant coach to the legendary Penn State football team, Jerry Sandusky, is facing allegations of child sexual abuse of about 20 victims. Amid these allegations, the Board of Trustees for Penn State were forced to fire university president Graham Spanier and Penn State icon and head football coach for more than 60 years, Joe Paterno. Among others indicted with Sandusky are athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz, who are being accused of allegedly covering up the entire incident.
The actions of one man and the inaction of a whistleblower, the school’s administrative staff and sports directors have collectively ruined the reputation and repute of one of the nation’s formerly respected football programs. Emerging details are sickening and continue to increase the public outrage over the unconscionable and criminal acts of abuse as well as the failure to report the repeated acts of sexual abuse that occurred in public areas, the shower rooms of the school’s football facilities, and Sandusky’s own home. Since the case broke, the number of alleged victims has doubled. Current tallies are nearing 20 victims, who ranged in age from eight to fifteen at the time of the abuse. These criminal acts of sexual abuse, including anal rape and oral sex forced on underage boys, have occurred in the hallowed halls of Penn State since 1994. The first confirmed case of abuse comes from a victim who was subject to Sandusky’s sickening advances in 1994. In 1998, Sandusky experienced his first close call, but it wasn’t enough to expose the true crimes of this alleged pedophile.
When allegations of molestation hit in 1998, Sandusky was a prominent local figure, a favorite to replace Paterno and a key director behind Penn State’s famous Linebacker U, which helped the Nittany Lions win two national championships in the 1980s. These early allegations accused Jerry Sandusky of showering in the nude and hugging a young boy in the locker room showers. Campus law enforcement conducted an investigation, child protection agencies were aware of the situation and the local prosecutor was given evidence, but no charges were brought. Individuals involved with the case claimed Sandusky admitted it was inappropriate and said he wouldn’t do it again. To make matters stranger, the local DA Ray Gricar, who received evidence in 1998 and tried but failed to bring charges, disappeared in 2005. His laptop was pulled from a local river, but the body was never found.
Despite the awareness of these allegations, the case was closed, and Sandusky retired with his dignity intact. Although Sandusky was retired, he wasn’t finished grooming victims. In fact, the abuse increased. Sandusky continued to coach high school football as a volunteer and managed his charitable foundation for at-risk youths. The Second Mile spends millions of dollars every year on sports programs for at-risk youth. The organization’s board of directors includes Joe Paterno, Arnold Palmer and several NFL greats. This small detail is part of the mounting evidence that suggests Paterno put friendship, business and other matters before the safety of the children and young boys that were in his care.
Sandusky committed at least 40 sexually inappropriate acts against young male victims while simultaneously exercising bad taste. An individual identified as Victim Four accompanied Sandusky and his wife to the 1999 Alamo Bowl. In the year 2000, the abuse continued with at least two janitors witnessing Sandusky perform forced oral sex on Victim Eight, who was approximately 12 years old. One janitor reported the incident, but the other, a temporary employee, never made a report or any effort to protect the young victim from further acts of sexual abuse.
Meanwhile, Sandusky continued to exploit his access to underage males by anally raping a ten-year-old boy in the Penn State locker room. Fortunately, graduate assistant John McQueary happened to be in the Lasch Football Building at 9:30 pm while the acts of abuse and “rhythmic slapping sounds” occurred. A month after attempting to report the incident to Paterno and school officials, McQueary is told that Sandusky was forced to relinquish his locker room keys and that the incidents had been reported to The Second Mile, an organization whose directorial board also includes Paterno. McQueary has received a lot of heat for not reporting the incident to police, but it was the higher-ups who weren’t listening. McQueary was never questioned by university police or any other investigative body. At this point, it seems that Penn State simply refused to listen and acknowledge the problem, or they were actively participating in a cover-up because the abuse continued for several more years.
The first victim to come forward was a local high school student abused by Sandusky between 2005 and 2008. The victim’s mom reported the incidents of sexual assault to the high school, and Sandusky was banned from the district. Victim One also claimed Sandusky invited him to his home for at least one overnight stay. The courage of one parent’s action led to an official Grand Jury investigation in 2009 where John McQueary, Joe Paterno and athletic director Tim Curley were called as witnesses. During the 18-month investigation, Sandusky ceased to perform daily activities related to The Second Mile as if he were anticipating that the case was about to explode. However, Sandusky claimed he needed time off for family matters. After a lengthy investigation, Sandusky was arrested on November 5, 2011, for 40 counts of criminal activity. Sandusky, 67, was released on $100,000 bail.
Throughout this arrest and the previous incidents, Sandusky has denied all responsibility. In the Happy Valley, one thing is certain. The officials there have become pretty proficient at passing the buck and pointing fingers at fellow directors. After a long discussion, the school’s board of trustees came to the only logical conclusion given the circumstances and allegations against Sandusky and individuals that failed to report the incidents. Penn State’s board of trustees voted to fire head coach Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier, the university president. This surprising breakthrough came hours after Paterno’s public statement where he said he was going to finish out his 46th season with three games left.
The most surprising part at this stage of the story is who remains on Paterno’s side. It appears that many students want JoePa to come back for the end of the season. Paterno shook hands with students and players, including many that were crying. As many as 5,000 students are participating in riots on campus. Underclassmen marched with picket signs reading “JoePa or Bust,” “We Heart JoePa” and “We Want Joe Back.” The crowd was filled with anger, sadness and a dash of disbelief, but others were growing violent. There was a substantial law enforcement presence surrounded by a throng of protesters that were migrating toward Beaver Stadium. A news truck was tipped over by the crowd, and students began throwing bottles, rocks and anything within reach. Injury reports began to roll in as well. The Penn State student body is throttled by the firing on their beloved coach, and they are making their opinions known.
Penn State has already appointed defensive coordinator Tom Bradley to serve as the football team’s interim coach while Rodney Erickson will serve as the interim school president. In his public statement, Paterno shared his sorrow and devastation saying the tragedy was one of the biggest sorrows of his life, and he would have done more in hindsight. Unfortunately, it seems as though Paterno wishes he could have done more to keep his job and protect the reputation of the Penn State football program by reporting incidents of abuse to law enforcement authorities.
Sports writers have been urging Paterno to retire for years, and now it appears they were right. After several on-field injuries where Paterno was hit by players and suffered a broken leg, hip injuries and shoulder injuries, Paterno began coaching off the field from media boxes. With a coach who currently employs such a hands-off approach, it’s not entirely surprising that Paterno didn’t do more to bring potentially embarrassing allegations into the open. According to reports, Paterno was notified of his firing by phone after 60 years of distinguished service for the university.
Although Paterno’s abrupt dismissal was not a fitting end for such a legendary college football coach of all time, it was appropriate for this situation. This unfortunate conclusion to Paterno’s career could have been avoided numerous ways. After many errors regarding the criminal actions of one sexual predator, Penn State has made the first coherent decision and fulfilled their obligation to rid themselves of the people who didn’t handle the situation in a legally and morally sound way.
By moving into the future and out of the Paterno-era, Penn State is taking steps to recover their tarnished reputation and restore the status of their football program. With the same blind-to-crime directors running the school and its football program, who would want to subject themselves or their children to an environment where sexual abuse was allowed to exist and proliferate? The entire nation and people around the world will continue to watch as this dire situation evolves and Penn State attempts to restore their reputation.
