<p>While the media is showing all of the students who are supporting Paterno, my D who is a Jr. there says everyone she knows is horrified that this was allowed to happen at their school, and they support the decision to fire the top people.</p>
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<p>This is not anything like Duke Lacrosse. None of those players did anything wrong. I criticized that at the time for the rush to judgment that it was. At Penn State, the most visible school officials turned their head when children were being raped on their campus.</p>
<p>I sure did read it and I believe that Sandusky committed every act mentioned.</p>
<p>That is not at all what I am displeased about. Paterno didn’t commit these crimes and he did not cover them up.</p>
<p>Pa is often described as Pittsburgh and Philadephia with Alabama in between. People don’t like child molesters, and they don’t like having people thrown under the bus * for things that they did not do*.</p>
<p>News is reporting perhaps a thousand students in the streets already.</p>
<p>Paterno should have left when they tried to get rid of him in 2004 rather than tell his “bosses” to pound salt. His reputation would still be tarnished but he wouldn’t have been fired in shame.</p>
<p>^Paterno claimed that McQueary reported “inappropriate behavior, perhaps of a sexual nature”. that is a form of covering up indeed. and Paterno himself is sorry for not having done more. I don’t really know, while he may be sincerely remorseful, unfortunately I suspect he is sorry for not doing more now that HE is experiencing consequences to his own life.</p>
<p>Sandusky is simply despicable in blaming his victims, claiming they are simply troubled boys acting out, after all they came from troubled homes. The absolute arrogance to attack the character of these victimized young men. </p>
<p>I personally found Paterno coming out today stating he would retire at the end of the season a sad symbol of his arrogance. He was telling the board he was staying, rather than recognizing it was bigger than his desires, and the decision would be made by the board. Similarly, Spanier expressing his support of Curley and Shultz showed that same arrogance. They simply didn’t get how criminal and shameful this has been, and clearly expected to continue to be all powerful. that’s what this is all about. this is not a sex scandal, it’s an abuse of power, all around.</p>
<p>I don’t understand how you can defend Paterno dadx. Yes, he did what was legally required in reporting the incident to his supervisor. But when nothing happened, how could he possibly stand by and continue working with Sandusky on a daily basis without doing something? He has and had a huge amount of power on this campus, and he stood there and watched without protecting the most innocent of victims!</p>
<p>No reporting to the police is covering up, telling an employee you are handling intend doing basically nothing is covering it up, going along with your bosses and sweeping itnunder the rug is covering it up, not insisting the witness go ton the police is covering it up, having information about at least three, and most probably more events, and allowing a molester to continue using your facilities is a coverup…this whole thing smells dirty and the Penn state students have very screwed up priorities if they support pele who hide child molester in their midst</p>
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<p>And neither did Joe Paterno. (In fact, he did less wrong than the Duke Lacrosse players, who did put themselves into the position that led to the false accusations.) </p>
<p>BTW, the “other guy” to whom Paterno relayed the report of the observed incident was effectively the head of the campus police department. This is conveniently non-reported by most accounts because it gets in the way of the story.</p>
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For God’s sake, he did not do that. Please get your facts straight and spend some time sorting out the time line and the other authoritative sources before you say something (again) that is false.</p>
<p>Takeitallin-- I’m glad to hear that many students at Penn State are supporting the firing of Paterno. We are only seeing those who support Paterno on ESPN. I can’t understand the students cheering him on last night and today, and I am hoping that they are not the majority of students at Penn State.</p>
<p>And ^^^ the “head of police” thing has been reported many times and probably all of us here have heard that and also heard that this was in title only.</p>
<p>so what are the facts dadx? He did continue working with him and took it no further- enough said.</p>
<p>Tutu…one difference with the DA’s is that the original DA in PA who handled the case went missing in 2005 and was declared dead earlier this year. </p>
<p>As for Paterno, I hope he doesn’t make it to Christmas. The man was well aware of the actions years ago and did nothing but maintain his friendship with this savage. It’s nice to see they forced his retirement.</p>
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<p>The Duke LAX players hired a stripper. Paterno covered up child rape.</p>
<p>I think you should reconsider your position.</p>
<p>Dadx, by the “other guy” are you referring to Schultz who is charged with covering up the allegations of sexual abuse? It is certainly being heavily reported.</p>
<p>He was vice president for finance and business and effectively oversaw the University police.</p>
<p>I wonder if Paterno was a Catholic who went to his priest for advice and absolution?</p>
<p>Wouldn’t surprise me.</p>
<p>Such a sad story. I read the number of victims has likely already doubled, as it tends to do in these cases. </p>
<p>I hope they get rid of that guy who left a kid being raped in a building to call his father and “find out what to do.” I mean, who has to ask what to do in the face of child rape?</p>
<p>A coward like that is going to talk about courage to young men on a saturday afternoon. maybe not.</p>
<p>Well, it appears the University agrees with the majority of posters on this thread.</p>
<p>“I have read that the district attorney way back in 1998 had chosen NOT to press charges. That means somebody reported it. If the DA chose not to press charges, how exactly is that the fault of Paterno or the President, etc?” </p>
<p>Hops_scout, 1998 was the first incident. There were more later. People are most upset about the 2002 incident when Paterno was directly told about the sexual abuse and simply passed the buck without follow-up and without insuring that no more children were abused by seeing to it that it was reported. He preferred to take a blind eye.</p>
<p>What happened to Paterno is sad, very sad on a human level, but he could have avoided all of the negatives by doing the right thing years ago, and especially in the past 48 hours. He forced the hand of the trustees by not resigning voluntarily. </p>
<p>That he could not understand that he should not have been on the field this Saturday shows how removed from reality he had grown.</p>
<p>I’m late to this thread so forgive me. I agree with the firing of Paterno but I think it is motivated by the same self serving agenda that kept these crimes undercover for decades. Suddenly Penn State is all outraged by the way that it was handled?</p>
<p>I also wonder (and this is not, in any way meant to excuse Paterno’s lack of action and follow up) about the generational factor. He is 84 years old. People just a few decades younger are much better educated and informed about sexual abuse and it’s effects on children. We have been exposed to much more open and informed dialogue on the subject. I wonder if there was a level of ignorance on Paterno’s part that contributed to his lack of action.</p>
<p>Again, I and not excusing him in the least.</p>
<p>^ I think the $70 million per year football program contributed to his lack of action just a bit.</p>
<p>^^^
I’m sure you’re right.</p>