Joe Pa/Penn State

penguinofwar · 11-09-2011, 06:01 PM

So this might be able to be moved from sports and athletics because it honestly might be bigger than that, but anyways, what are you guys thoughts on the whole Joe Paterno/PSU situation? After hearing everything that's happened, my main reaction has been that I can't believe that Joe knew about the situation or, was convinced that it was as serious or real of a problem that the media is making it out to be (not the problem itself, which is obviously huge, but JoePa's knowledge in regards to it). Just knowing Joe Pa and who he is and what he stands for...I can't see him taking such a thing like that so lightly or legitimately trying to cover it up. So, essentially what I'm saying is, I don't think Joe is at the fault that the media is suggesting. At the same time, I won't have my own opinion of things until I hear JoePa's side of this, which we could have but fricken PSU wouldn't let him talk. Sadly, though, it seems that regardless of whether JoePa really is at fault here, because of the way the media has portrayed him, in some way he's going to have to step down or be removed from his coaching position (whether its how he decided to retire or not).

Anyways, what I'm trying to say is we don't totally know what went on in 2002 with Joe and what he knew or how he reacted to it. So with that and Joe's character, and how he has handled the situation thus far (his willingness to talk about it) I'm sticking on Joe's side right now, and I know I'm one in a million, but because of what we don't know, I'm backing Joe for now.

So, anyhow, how have you guys felt about everything and what are your thoughts/reactions?

penguinofwar · 11-09-2011, 08:55 PM

Joe Paterno fired....this is all unbelievable

penguinofwar · 11-09-2011, 09:19 PM

The power of the press is sad....

***Art*** · 11-09-2011, 09:29 PM

I am not intimately acquainted with the facts, so I don't have much to say. It's crazy that he got fired on accusations, though. I guess they are some pretty major accusations.

***Pauler*** · 11-09-2011, 10:00 PM

just from what i know so far, he was basically fired b/c he is the head football coach, and the head football coach cannot have things like this happen under his watch. i think he did the right thing in letting his superiors know what happened. i guess they expected him to go to the police directly.

Ax · 11-10-2011, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pauler

just from what i know so far, he was basically fired b/c he is the head football coach, and the head football coach cannot have things like this happen under his watch. i think he did the right thing in letting his superiors know what happened. i guess they expected him to go to the police directly.

Okay so... a few things about this which smell really bad.

The grad student who saw the whole thing first called his father. Then went to Paterno, and is NOW an assistant coach. Not only that but he didn't pick up the phone and call the police.

Paterno claims that he was unaware of the extent of the situation and went to his supervisor. No police.

Athletic Director and I think his assistant both hear about this from Paterno, but not known to what extent. They proceed to cover this up and merely tell Sandusky to not bring kids from his charity onto campus anymore.

At some point he retires...

Flash forward to 2005, a DA in Pennsylvania hears about this, apparently Sandusky had admitted to this to somebody. That DA goes missing and is never seen nor heard from again.

Between that DA and the grad student becoming a coach, something smells awfully fishy and it isn't the harddrive from the DA's computer that washed up on the banks of some river up north.

**Dwight Schrute** · 11-10-2011, 06:28 AM

as a resident of Pennsylvania, amidst the "PSU and Paterno are minor deities" mentality, the radio and television stations have talked about little else the past week or so.

I am kind of with Ax on this one. something smells pretty fishy here. why the police weren't brought in at any point thus far is beyond my realm of comprehension. that JoePA (as he is known around here for the obvious play of both Joe PAterno and Joe PA (Pennsylvania) knew about this on any level and didn't either go to the police or encourage the person who witnessed this to go to the police, is nothing short of criminal negligence. do I think they should have fired him? I don't really know. usually people are suspended without pay in criminal investigations. so I don't know if PSU firing just about everyone was the right thing to do or not. but people around here are positively freaking all the way out. I had to turn off the radio, people are going nuts.

S.B.Nichols · 11-10-2011, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pauler

just from what i know so far, he was basically fired b/c he is the head football coach, and the head football coach cannot have things like this happen under his watch. i think he did the right thing in letting his superiors know what happened. i guess they expected him to go to the police directly.

This is pretty much my opinion. But, talking to my wife (CPS worker in Texas) he had a responsibility to go to the police himself. Reporting it up the chain of command is fine unless the person above you does nothing with the information. In Texas at least, Joe Pa could potentially have criminal charges filed against him for not escalating the matter.

I do sorta half wonder if the PSU board of directors are also using this as a window to get Joe to move on.

**Dwight Schrute** · 11-10-2011, 07:36 AM

I'm sure there are so many different angles to this issue. I'm not sure what PSU would gain by getting rid of Joe, though. he has been a cash cow for them. I can't go anywhere without seeing either PSU or Joe PA products. our grocery store even carries his favorite endorsed bread.

bottom line, for me? anyone who knew about this should have done more. if the allegations are true, a lot of kids were abused.

***Art*** · 11-10-2011, 11:35 AM

I wonder if he is a mandatory reporter. That is kind of a game changer. If he was a high school coach, he would be a mandatory reporter...

chad.clifford7 · 11-10-2011, 11:36 AM

Not that you can't find this elsewhere, I figured I'd post a link to the timeline of events that transpired leading to this fiasco.

Penn State Scandal Timeline: Key Dates In The Jerry Sandusky Sex Abuse Case

I believe more people could have done more than what they did early on to prevent the subsequent abuse from happening. I also believe Paterno was canned because his actions, or lack thereof, painted the university in a bad light. With Paterno being the face of the university, it didn't reflect well.

We can all voice our .02 about what should have been done but the fact remains, a lot of people had their hands in this mess and washed them with varying degrees of small actions and no single person or action can be blamed. This appears to be a result of systemic failure, perhaps due to university politics and image protection, IMO.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." - Edmund Burke

Rather fitting quote.

S.B.Nichols · 11-10-2011, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art

I wonder if he is a mandatory reporter. That is kind of a game changer. If he was a high school coach, he would be a mandatory reporter...

Technically, everyone is a mandatory reporter, it just gets played up to encourage teachers/ministers/baby sitters to come forward with information. Which means that the 28 year old grad student who supposedly caught this man in the act should have been the first to call the police (right after he should have told the man to stop and then promptly smashed his head into the tile).

***Art*** · 11-10-2011, 01:09 PM

Yeah, I suppose that's true.

**Ted Logan** · 11-10-2011, 03:03 PM

Mandatory reporting laws are different for each state.

S.B.Nichols · 11-10-2011, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted Logan

Mandatory reporting laws are different for each state.

Yes, but they're also stacked on top of CAPTA and ASFA. The problem is it's not enforceable on the federal level, so the states have their own laws. Everyone is technically a mandatory reporter, but states only look for it from certain individuals. Even at the state level they don't enforce it much because the court systems aren't large enough to take a look at every single nurse who saw a bruise, didn't think anything of it, and then the kid turned up hurt or worse. In Texas (where the state law makes everyone mandatory) it is only really enforced on family members who turn a blind eye to abuse, and in situations where a child turns up dead. And Texas laws are pretty strict...if one of my students shows up with a black eye and no explanation, I'm not supposed to even guess that it might be an accident or sports injury, just report it and let the state explore. But...no one would enforce it if I didn't. Heck, I've called in cases of severe sexual abuse that were deemed unworthy of follow-up.

(being deliberately vague here...) My wife has worked on at least one case where several dozen people knew what was going on (not guessed at it, KNEW IT, with pictures and video), including individuals we'd think of as being mandatory reporters, and a child turned up dead...and the state only cares about the parents in that case.

All of that goes back to my point though, there's something wrong with the 28 year old GRAD student who saw (SAW!) this man rape a boy in the shower and didn't report it...or even tell the man to stop. Or the janitor that caught him with a young boy a year before that. Or the POLICE who knew about this behavior for years.