I wanted to bring a little more to the table here, specifically, the dynamics of the Freeh report, and what it states:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...erno-jerry-sandusky_n_1667727.html?ir=College
For those unaware, here are some of the major tenants the Freeh report touched on:
Regarding Graham Spanier, President of the college, Vice President Gary Schultz, AD Tim Curly, and Paterno himself, Freeh wrote:
"These men concealed Sandusky's activities from the Board of Trustees, the University community and authorities.They exhibited a striking lack of empathy for Sandusky's victims by failing to inquire as to their safety and well‐being, especially by not attempting to determine the identity of the child who Sandusky assaulted in the Lasch Building in 2001."
The Freeh report indicated that not only did Paterno and others have knowledge of Sandusky's abuse over a long period of time, they did nothing to stop Sandusky, and worse, help his victims. Can you imagine this happening in the PSU basketball program w an assistant? How about the swim team? No, every effort would be made to get the man out and away. But because, despite Paterno's claims, this was a
football scandal, nothing was done. The football program was primary, while the abuse was on the periphary, because the football program came first. Case and point, from the Freeh report.
The report shows that in May of 98, Sandusky sexually assaulted a boy in the Lasch building on the PSU campus. Sandusky was still an employee of Penn State's at the time, as he didn't retire until 1999. The boy's mother confronted Sandusky regarding the incident, asking him if anything improper took place. Sandusky's response, which was being tapped by campus police, said the following:
"I don't think so ... maybe. I was wrong. I wish I could get forgiveness. I know I won't get it from you. I wish I were dead."
Keep in mind, this encounter was being tapped by PSU police officers, and a police department detective. The findings were sent to President Graham Schultz, who wondered to AD Tim Curly if this would be "opening Pandora's Box", and also questioned if other children were involved. Emails found between Curly and Schultz indicated they had touched base with Paterno about this as well. But PSU campus police chief Timothy Harmon wanted to "hold off" on making any criminal entries against Sandusky, even though he had, as emails show, met with Sandusky, who
acknowledged the abuse.
Further, the report shows that all four men: Spanier, Curley, Schultz, and Paterno failed to alert the Board of Trustees of the college regarding the incident, even though Sandusky admitted to Harmon he had done this to
other boys in the past. Further, Schultz informed both Spanier and Curley that the investigation was closed. Sandusky also remained on for another
year. Regarding the shower incident, Freeh wrote:
"What's striking about 1998 is nobody even spoke to Sandusky ... including the coach [Paterno] who was steps away from [Sandusky's] office. No one informed other staff not to let Sandusky bring youth into the shower either."
I don't know if Freeh is right. I do know the man is tenacious, has dug up dirt in the past, and has no reason to simply make this up. If Paterno knew as much as the Freeh report claims he did, what choice does Penn State have? He didn't commit the acts himself, but he did the next worst thing: nothing. He, along with Schultz, Spanier, and Curley,l swept it under the rug, because the football program came first. Where is the JoePa who cared so much about his students here? I guess if it wasn't one of "his guys", it didn't concern him as much.
Penn State has to distance themselves from Paterno. Let others remember his legacy and the things he did, because the man did alot of good, both football wise, and as a humanitarian. But he didn't step up when it counted most, he put the football program above the welfare of young boys. That's unforgiveable, no matter how much good he's done. Because Paterno and company did nothing, Sandusky was able to continue to assault young boys on the PSU campus for two more years. How do you not distance yourself from Paterno? Can you seperate his achievements as a coach from what he did as a man? I'm sure alot of us can, but Penn State cannot afford to.
No one person is bigger then any institution. No program, or their scandals, are above the law. Yet, until this surfaced last year, that's exactly what happened at Penn State. And because of this, PSU has to distance themselves from Paterno as much as possible. Here's what Daniel Filler, a law professor at Drexel and a criminal attorney specializing in sexual abuse cases, had to say regarding Penn State football not going to the Board of Trustees regarding the Sandusky abuse:
"Reporting anything to the board would have been letting the genie out of the bottle. Penn State officials were engaged in magical thinking. I think they had fully tricked themselves into believing this wasn't a problem."
This "magical thinking" allowed Sandusky to continue to assault young men without consequence, and without fear of it, essentially. And it was because of a cover-up of epic perportions, one that involved Joe Paterno. It's sad, but it's the legacy PSU
has to give Paterno if they hope to ever move on from this. Like Benoit, Paterno can't defend himself from the grave, so we only have the information provided to us to go on. And it's pretty damning, wouldn't you say?
Freeh did have this to say regarding Paterno, and the McQueary incident where he witnessed Sandusky molesting a boy in the shower. After reporting to Paterno what had happened, Paterno said this:
You did what you had to do. It is my job now to figure out what we want to do.
Yet it was revealed by the Freeh report that Paterno did very little, despite it being "his job" to figure out what to do. Paterno acknowledged as much in a written statement issued on November 9, 2011. Freeh wrote the following regarding it:
Paterno reported what he was told about the 2001 incident to Penn State authorities" -- meaning Curley, Schultz, and Spanier -- "and he believed it would be fully investigated. To his credit, Mr. Paterno stated on November 9, 2011, 'With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.'"
Yeah, he should have. Paterno isn't a detective. He's not a police officer. He was the football coach. But when he saw nothing being done, and that Sandusky remained free to come and go as he pleased, it was time to step up. The "sanctity" of a football program isn't worth more then the health and well-being of young men. These four(Curley, Schultz, Spanier and Paterno) obviously felt otherwise. As a result, alot of damage was done to innocent young men. Why shouldn't some of that be taken out of Paterno's legacy? Here's my big question:
Why shouldn't the statue in Paterno's honor come down?