<p>I had company all afternoon, so I skimmed through the posts. Busy bunch on here.</p>
<p>I think mini’s posts make lots of sense. What if JoePa knew when Sandusky was hired or found out shortly after that he liked little boys? I don’t know, it is just a what if. When others discovered it, perhaps JoePa had known so long that Sandusky did say he would bring everyone down. It is all crazy to me.</p>
<p>The other thing is that a pedophile can molest hundreds of kids in a lifetime. Who knows how many kids were involved. I hope they have the strength and courage to come forward now.</p>
<p>"However, Mini, how can you say with such certainty that Paterno knew about every single one of these cases? THat he knew about some, the evidence is there. THat he knew about a lot of things going on at the athletic center, is certain. But every single thing? Do you have info or is it suspicions that Paterno was actively involved in abuse too? "</p>
<p>I have no suspicions that Paterno was actively involved in child sexual abuse. (But I see all of his actions as abuse, and of an almost more dangerous kind, as it provided cover for a criminal for at least 15 years.) We know that Sandusky didn’t start abusing kids in 1998. We know that Louis Freeh met with coaches - Paterno’s employees - and others who SAW Sandusky showering with kids in the Penn State locker room between 1994-1997. We know Matt’s mother was fairly public about her concerns prior to 1998. Anyone who is anyone in Penn State says that Paterno knew everything about everything, and everything crossed his desk. Sandusky was his closest associate for 30 years. </p>
<p>Do you really think that this “leader of men” was so tone-deaf, and such a poor judge of character, that he knew none of this? I think it far more likely that he knew all of it, and in detail. And that he snookered Gricar. And it was successful, so he tried a repeat, in 2001, and was successful again. Paterno was good at what he did.</p>
<p>To JoePa, protecting Sandusky - as it turns out, repeatedly, and over a long period of time - minimum 14 years, but likely more like 30 - to him might have been the most important thing he had ever done in his life. Because it is precisely what saved his reputation and that of his beloved football team. He got himself caught in his own web of lies, and just couldn’t extricate himself and still be JoePa. Or so he believed.</p>
<p>(P.S. If you were a decent football player, would you really want to play for Penn State now?)</p>
<p>I doubt that even Sandusky knows how many kids he abused, what their names were; anything. Surely Paterno didn’t know of every single young one, but it sounds like he knew of a pattern of abuse for many, many years.</p>
<p>OMG people…punish Sandusky & those who covered up! How about helping the victims and ther families heal through this horrific experience. The new coaching staff/football program has nothing to do with the crime committed by others. Everyone should be worrying about the true victims and working on how to ensure it doesnt happen again.</p>
<p>Spanier granted Sandusky emeritus status even though he met none of the criteria. The retirement negotiations started before the 1st shower incident occurred in May 1998. Why were they so insistent on Jerry retiring before the first investigation took place?</p>
<p>Still many questions unanswered, perhaps never will be - as is the case with the missing DA and the involvement of Second Mile. Penn State may eventually be able to walk away from all the civil and legal litigations related to this tragedy; however, it is the court of public opinion that the school needs to win in order to restore its reputation.</p>
<p>hmm…that is weird Sparkeye7 that they started the retirement negotiations before the '98 shower incident. Where did you find that info?</p>
<p>LasMa–I said the same thing about victim 2, that he was at increased risk due to having been witnessed, and further by Sandusky being talked to about that incident. I find it mysterious that he hasn’t come forward, as his assault would have been supported by McQueary’s testimony. As I said pages back, it is possible he was harmed, even killed. In May there was a case of a priest attempting to have his accuser murdered.</p>
<p>Fiala, a former Roman Catholic priest charged with sexually abusing a teenage boy in 2008 in his rural Texas parish is now accused of plotting the alleged victim’s murder, authorities said. Fiala was found guilty of the plot in May of 2012.
A Texas jury has sentenced a former Roman Catholic priest to 60 years in prison for plotting the death of a man who accused him of sexual abuse.</p>
<p>There is nothing strange, ever, about victims of this type of abuse not coming forward. It is so traumatic and confusing and frightening for anyone at any age to be sexually attacked. For children, it is only more so. It is amazing that 10 survivors went through this whole process. They are to be commended, but there should be no surprise that other victims can’t be as open. It can take years for people to even acknowledge what happened to them, especially when the perpetrator is still capable of attacking them.</p>
<p>And even more so when the attacker provided all kinds of special attention and activities to deprived children.</p>
<p>From the no timeline on the statue link above:</p>
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<p>It continues to astound. Is there another football coach who has such a hold on the thoughts of the college community? I honestly cannot wrap my mind around this. From the outside, it would be laughable if the whole thing weren’t so tragic.</p>
<p>There has been no mention of a child killed in all of this. The situation is abominable and horrifying enough when we stick to the facts. One reason that I discuss thing on this forum is that we do try to stick with the facts and opinions we have that come from those facts. I have disgreed on Mini on many things, but his integrity in giving factual info and good reasoning has been first grade. Has that child that McQ saw in the shower been identified? Have the authorities made an attempt to find him? </p>
<p>I know kids, my own included, who now have Penn State crossed off their lists, never mind football players. The whole athletic department, but especially of the football staff should be fired, barred from any Penn State work and access and replaced from outside of State College. Fresh blood is needed in that school.The relationships and connections are so many and strong that you are sometimes talking to genetically the same person in one office as you are in another.</p>
<p>GIven that Paterno had terminal lung cancer, it is not at all unusual that he was negotiating such contracts. I have seen this sort of thing a lot.</p>
<p>I think the college is correct to go slowly with the football legacy aspect. I cannot forget the thousands of kids who played football (and won), who marched in the band, who attended the games, who were proud of their alma mater. They were the real heart…not the coach, the world made the coach the hero. This is about a handful of men and of course the victims, but there are many, many alumni who want to feel loyal and good about their alma mater and threading through this PR nightmare will require a slow and measured response. You don’t chop down a tree because a limb was diseased…you figure out how to cut out the disease and preserve the tree. Paterno was a damaged man and who knows what would have come out had he lived, but I think it might be wise to let the alumni and his former players figure out his position in history.</p>
<p>I believe the Freeh report indicates the Sandusky retirement was separate from the investigation. Perhaps arising from a state law giving a window of more favorable payout to those who retired with 30 years of service and retired by a certain date.</p>
<p>Every day that Penn State keeps the statue up and the library named for JoePa, they inflict more wounds on the victims.</p>
<p>I think folks would be incredibly proud of their alma mater if somebody - ANYBODY - representing the university or the trustees would just stand up and say, “enough already”. I think they are trashing their own university.</p>