Penn State football officials implicated in covering up on campus child rape by coach

[valo403]

Originally Posted by gargamel

I know how an investigation works and am well aware that it can take years. It's hard for me to believe that's is purely a coincidence that they just happened to get their ducks in a row the week after Paterno set the record, but you're right that I'm not giving them the same benefit of the doubt that I'm giving Paterno (and you're not giving Paterno the same benefit of the doubt that you're giving the DA). I guess that's wrong of us, but we're not costing anyone their job or their reputation. We're just idiots on a message board so we can blame whoever we want based on our snap judgments and preexisting biases. We should be able to expect a more measured response from reporters, but sadly, we can't.

I think I'm giving Paterno plenty of benefit of the doubt. I'm not saying he knew more than what is in his testimony. I'm saying that based on what he admitted to in his testimony he didn't fulfill his moral obligation. He built his legacy on a platform of being a stand up man and doing the right thing, he didn't live up to his own standards.

[gargamel]

Nothing in the testimony shows whether he believed that Sandusky was abusing children. Was it his moral obligation to call the police and ruin his friend's life about something that he heard 3rd hand if he didn't think the report was credible? I'd argue that it wasn't. Maybe that's not how it happened, but none of us know that at this point.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by gargamel

Nothing in the testimony shows whether he believed that Sandusky was abusing children. Was it his moral obligation to call the police and ruin his friend's life about something that he heard 3rd hand if he didn't think the report was credible? I'd argue that it wasn't. Maybe that's not how it happened, but none of us know that at this point.

He didn't have to call the police, but he should have done a hell of a lot more than he did based on the information he had. Again, this is the most powerful guy in the whole institution, punting it to someone else isn't acceptable.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

You're a psychologist?

No child care worker, spent most of my working life herding skinners, for my sins it is something I have a skill at, I have the dubious ability to be able to be open and honest with kids that have done grim evil things without feeling either too angry or sorry or embarresed to deal with things.
I usually worked as part of a supervisory team with kids coming out of jail.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

So we know the college needs to investigate this, but is there going to be a NCAA investigation into the football program as well?

Department of Education is investigating

[Northendzone]

It is pretty pathetic that some many adults saw what was going on and they opted to do very little or nothing.

Of course it is also disgusting that someone who dedicated their life to teaching young men was damaging little kids for life......

[Montana Moe]

8pm press conference scheduled:

@Jim_Gardner: Action News source says #JoePaterno will not coach another game. #Spanier has resigned. #PSUcharges

[afc wimbledon]

I could see the football program being cancelled

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by goodyear

Joe Paterno might have done the legal minimum but that is far from being good enough. A man of his stature would just need to make one phone call to the local authorities to have the investigation started. Though legally absolved, he should be held just as morally responsible as the other two administrators.

I posted this in the other thread so I'll just echo it over here.

If you read the grand jury report about what they heard and then saw in that shower ... man, I can't see how anyone would be content to just let that get swept under the rug. On the other hand, I can understand notifying the school officials and then wanting to just never talk about it again to anyone, but then wouldn't your conscious just eat at you?

[socalwingfan]

Spanier and Paterno are out immediately - board of trustees has punted the 2 tonight

[MRCboicgy]

McQueary still has a job though? That's messed, if anyone should have manned up when he saw the kid being abused, it was him.

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by MRCboicgy

McQueary still has a job though? That's messed, if anyone should have manned up when he saw the kid being abused, it was him.

McQueary and the janitor who witnessed Sandusky in the act are the two guys who absolutely knew what the right thing to do was but failed to do it.

With the hindsight of knowing what Sandusy did and the baseless assumptions about what Paterno was told, it's easy for us to say that he should have done more, but none of us know what we'd have done or what he should have done if he honestly believed that Sandusky didn't abuse anyone. It's just amazing how quickly the media has rushed to tear down a guy who has been pure class for the last four decades. A court of law could never convict based on this amount of evidence, but the media has no problem doing it, and for a guy like Joe Paterno, the consequences are at least as severe.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by valo403

You also have to remember he's the lowest guy on the totem pole there and just trying to start his career. It's easy for us to sit here and say he should have done x or y but the reality is he was in a very tough situation. I'm not defending his actions or lack thereof, just saying that it's pretty easy to vilify someone from afar, especially when they weren't in a position of power. That's the difference with Paterno, he had nothing to fear.

Maybe we'll just have to disagree, but perceived power imbalance or not, you're witnessing a child being raped. How someone could do anything but immediately attempt to help that child, I'll never know. This isn't a warzone, it's your boss in the shower at work.

I agree with some other posters, disgusting is the word that comes to my mind.

[habernac]

I have no sympathy for a guy who let Sandusky stick around for any length of time knowing what he did. Penn State should have fired the lot long ago.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

I could see the football program being cancelled

For the rest of the season, maybe. Forever, no way jose.

[MRCboicgy]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Maybe we'll just have to disagree, but perceived power imbalance or not, you're witnessing a child being raped. How someone could do anything but immediately attempt to help that child, I'll never know. This isn't a warzone, it's your boss in the shower at work.

I agree with some other posters, disgusting is the word that comes to my mind.

Plus he was 28 years old at the time. My age.

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by habernac

I have no sympathy for a guy who let Sandusky stick around for any length of time knowing what he did. Penn State should have fired the lot long ago.

Who knew what Sandusky did? McQueary for sure. At least one janitor. The victims. But who else? Maybe a lot of people or maybe no one. Why wait for facts though when we can finish the witch hunt in less than a week?

Is Herman Cain still kicking, or do we need to hurry up and find a new target to tear down based on assumption, unsubstantiated claims and innuendo?

[jar_e]

I'm reading on twitter that Penn State students are protesting the firing....un####ingbelievable.

[MRCboicgy]

God, I can't believe I'm thanking Dr Phil (on Anderson Cooper) for his words. His explanation of how people could go home and eat dinner with their family, knowing what happened.

[taco.vidal]

Student protests forming at Penn after JoePa fired: