Did We Get It Wrong On Joe Paterno?

[bama57]

Read these words carefully: Joe Paterno, in March of 2002, after being told by a graduate assistant coach that he had witnessed longtime defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky allegedly raping a young boy in the football team's facility the night before, notified the police. In fact, Paterno discussed what he learned with the man, Gary Schultz, who had administrative control of the Penn State police.



The point people are missing is that the Penn State police are different than most campus police forces. They are a real police force. They carry guns. They aren't rent-a-cops. They have jurisdiction over the campus, which includes the Penn State football offices.........Click here for link

[Marshal Dillon]

No, Paterno is still a scumbag. He allowed Sandusky to continue to come to the football facilities and how could he be around this guy over 30 years and suspect NOTHING. Ignorance is bliss and provides deniability if something goes wrong. Paterno knew and he could have done much more.



 

[double nickel]

Sadly, no.  When he saw nothing happening from campus police he should have contacted either the state police or child welfare.  I am so heartbroken over this as he was one I have always looked up to and liked other than someone in Crimson.  I was disappointed I had jury duty the week of the game and couldn't go until this.  Now I am glad I saved my money.

[BAMAWV]

The discussion should be whether or not Paterno should see significant jail time for his complicity.

[MLB10]

No, Paterno is still a scumbag. He allowed Sandusky to continue to come to the football facilities and how could he be around this guy over 30 years and suspect NOTHING. Ignorance is bliss and provides deniability if something goes wrong. Paterno knew and he could have done much more.



 

+1 - bare minimum required by law is not enough for me.  He could have banned Sandusky from the facilities and shunned him personally.   

[KoKoPuf]

I'm not sure how many of us would take any additional action after reporting a crime to the police. I would assume the police would investigate and take the appropriate action.

[BAMAWV]

Now they are trying out the Schultz story, but the Grand Jury facts showed this: He had a first hand account of a horrible crime, he waited until after the weekend to report it to Curly. Then he went about his business until all hell broke loose. Then he got cancer and some new cover stories! If it was NOT Joe Paterno people would be discussing prison time. 

[XBAMA]

having to live the rest of my life with knowing that I did almost nothing to
stop this monster would be worse than anything that the courts could do later .

[KoKoPuf]

Reporting a crime to the cops is not doing "almost nothing". If someone tells me that they saw someone else murder his wife and I report the conversation to the cops, doesn't that end my responsibility?

[Catch Prothro]

I'm not sure how many of us would take any additional action after reporting a crime to the police. I would assume the police would investigate and take the appropriate action.

These kind of allegations are tricky for the police.  People will give different accounts of what happened.  The identity of the young man was apparently unknown.  Without a victim or physical evidence, it would be practically impossible to obtain a conviction.  So my impression isn't that there was a cover up of the crime, but that the police conducted an investigation but were unable to gather enough evidence to convict this scumbag Sandusky.  Or it could be that someone high up in university administration convinced the police to lay off the investigation -- Paterno wouldn't be involved in the investigation or know the details.

While some university officials apparently failed in their obligation to report things to appropriate child welfare agencies (and hence criminal charges against them), the prosecutors are satisfied that Paterno did what he was supposed to do, and they have stated as much.  We don't really know what all Paterno knew or what he did -- he has been practically muzzled by the ongoing investigation and flocks of lawyers.  The coach who witnessed the event, however, said that he did not provide specific details to Paterno, out of respect for the coach's age.

We also don't know how much control Paterno had over subsequent events or the university's actions.  Coaches don't control university policies -- indeed, they can be fired on a moment's notice.  Some people higher up than Paterno apparently tried to keep the matter quiet, and these are the individuals the police are now going after.

[XBAMA]

While some university officials apparently failed in their obligation to report things to appropriate child welfare agencies (and hence criminal charges against them), the prosecutors are satisfied that Paterno did what he was supposed to do, and they have stated as much.  

 Some people higher up than Paterno apparently tried to keep the matter quiet, and these are the individuals the police are now going after.

exactly , that's why I did not mention CJP in my post

although , like the someone said about the story
Schultz was not "the police." He had administrative control of the police. That is like reporting a crime to the mayor.
but then some will argue that Schultz is the Chief of Police .
that's not for us to decide , the question is
if this had been a child of one of these PSU employees how would they have handled it ?
should I believe that Sandusky would have been dealt with
much differently ?
the parent in me says yes ...

[MLB10]

I'm not sure how many of us would take any additional action after reporting a crime to the police. I would assume the police would investigate and take the appropriate action.

Once I reported child neglect and when it wasn't seen about in a timely manner I went to the Dcfs worker and offered to drive her myself lol

[pmull]

The question: Did we get it wrong on Joe Paterno?

The answer: No

I agree with WV. It is not a question of whether or not Paterno did enough but a question of if he should share a cell with Sandusky.

[Marshal Dillon]

Reporting a crime to the cops is not doing "almost nothing". If someone tells me that they saw someone else murder his wife and I report the conversation to the cops, doesn't that end my responsibility?

I can not believe you don't "get it." Paterno is not just some casual person who reported a crime. He was THE MAN at Penn State and this was one of his coaches for 30 years who was MOLESTING children. If Paterno had pushed this with just a half ounce of energy, that scumbag Sandusky would not have gone on and MOLESTED more children. Plus, the police said nothing was reported to them.

[bama57]

At that point, Paterno set up a meeting for McQueary and Curley, the athletic director, and Schultz, who oversaw university police. McQueary has testified that he gave both men a far more graphic description of what he witnessed, which he believed to be Sandusky sodomizing a boy of about 10, who had his hands against the shower wall. At the preliminary hearing for Curley and Schultz on Dec. 16, McQueary said he had been reluctant to go into similar “great detail about sexual acts” with Paterno, out of respect for the coach, who was 75 at the time.

Schultz and Curley have maintained that McQueary failed to impart the seriousness of what he saw to them as well. They never told police about the allegation, instead informing Sandusky he could no longer bring children to university facilities. Prosecutors say Sandusky continued to abuse boys for six more years.

Paterno has said, “In hindsight, I wish I had done more.”........Click here for link

[Guest]

Username:
Password:
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

There aren't any users online.

Loading Tweet...