Penn State athletic director plus ex-Paterno assistant charged in child rape case #2

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katydid23 said:
True, agreed about the need for calling Law Enforcement. But that is essentially what Paterno was doing by telling the University President. I worked in the public school system for years. So I was also a mandated reporter, and had to inform my higher ups if I had any reason to suspect abuse of a student. But that was what i was supposed to do--contact a superior and make my report. I did not personally contact LE, but made a required report to my principal, who was legally required to do so. I believe that is what Paterno was required to do as well. Make a formal report to his superior. And a report was made and the DA did look into it.
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I disagree, respectfully. When a heinous crime is reported, chain of command is, essentially, as I said, a way of washing one's hands and passing the buck. Following the rules is not always a correct moral decision.

I taught at a college with a strong athletic department based on its championship football program, and I know that "the chain of command" would have done nothing in a case like this except, as was done here, to cover it up.

Money was at stake; the brand might have been sullied.

Do the right thing. It was not done here.
 
I agree with opposing viewpoints. When is it appropriate to break protocol?
 
wfgodot said:
I disagree, respectfully. When a heinous crime is reported, chain of command is, essentially, as I said, a way of washing one's hands and passing the buck. Following the rules is not always a correct moral decision.

I taught at a college with a strong athletic department based on its championship football program, and I know that "the chain of command" would have done nothing in a case like this except, as was done here, to cover it up.

Money was at stake; the brand might have been sullied.

Do the right thing. It was not done here.
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I believe that following the chain of command IS the correct thing to do, if those above you follow through and contact LE. However, if they don't, there is a moral obligation, IMO, to follow through yourself.

For McQueary, though --- he saw it in real time, live, as it was happening. He had an obligation to stop it right then and there, or run to a phone and contact LE.
 
As soon as McQueary started telling Paterno about the rape Paterno cut him off. The coward stuck his head in the sand and left it there till he was called to the Grand Jury.

Paterno was breaking the minimum law by not letting McQueary tell him everything. Then he waited 10 days to get the rest of the crew together for McQueary to tell them at his house.
 
Justice with Judge Jeanine on Fox is about to come one. She is suppose to cover this tonight.
 
wfgodot said:
I certainly do in this case. Campus officials wanted Paterno out seven years ago. Instead, the Board of Trustees wound up firing him last Friday, after reaction to the grand jury presentment had made PSU synonymous with, at best, cover-ups, and, at worst if most truthfully, with child rape. JoePa certainly showed them, didn't he.
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Why did they want him out is the question. Why, two years after reporting his former assistant coach for child rape, do they want him gone? They really showed, not just their figurehead coach, but the world, didn't they? Two indicted and one more to be indicted soon... Yet, it was obviously "St. Joe's" responsibility to break protocol, to be held to the highest of moral standards that, most of the masses calling for this standard can't even reach with a ladder (def. not directed at you or anyone for that matter).
 
How sad is it when The Onion is the sanest voice in this madness?

http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/sports-media-asks-molestation-victims-what-this-me,26609/

"This is obviously a sensitive subject for you, and I understand how difficult and uncomfortable it must be to talk about the abrupt end of JoePa's career, but as a journalist, it's my responsibility to weed past the 40 counts of sexual misconduct over a 15-year period and the gross negligence on the part of school authorities and ask about what is really important here: Joe Paterno's football accomplishments," Steve Wieberg of USA Today said to one anonymous victim, who was 10 years old when Sandusky assaulted him and who now suffers from irreparable emotional and psychological damage. "He is the winningest Division I football coach of all time and a man whose very name is synonymous with excellence. As a Penn State fan yourself, this must be very tough for you."
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There was an opinion article posted earlier where the author highlighted how the crime itself became diluted the further it went and became an insubstantial incident.

Also, certain persons in admin. knew about Sandusky from the earlier reported incident by the janitor.
 
McQueary's father, as a physician, is a mandated reporter. He told his father first. They should have gone to LE that night.
 
BrownRice said:
This is why Sandusky got away with this for so long:

Speaking personally, Dottie Huck (Board Member of Second Mile) said Sandusky has “done some wonderful things in his lifetime and we should try to help him ... We all make little mistakes in our lives.”

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/11/charges_against_former_penn_st.html
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bbm

I would like for this Dottie Huck to tell that little 10-yr-old boy that this was a "little" mistake. It was anything but "little" - in more ways that one - for that poor child.

My own almost-9-yr-old son is sitting close by right now. And I look at him and think of this case. And I'm infuriated... I can only take small doses of this whole Penn State thing right now b/c of that, because of my son, my nephew, etc. :furious:

I do believe that Penn State is not the only place this is happening. But it is the only place that is in the news and that got caught. Perhaps a lesson will be learned by others in similar situations - who may get braver and make that phone call to LE.

(I'm going to try to take a break from this thread now... :()
 
ScorpRising said:
Why did they want him out is the question. Why, two years after reporting his former assistant coach for child rape, do they want him gone? They really showed, not just their figurehead coach, but the world, didn't they? Two indicted and one more to be indicted soon... Yet, it was obviously "St. Joe's" responsibility to break protocol, to be held to the highest of moral standards that, most of the masses calling for this standard can't even reach with a ladder (def. not directed at you or anyone for that matter).
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Basically they wanted him out because the Nittany Lions had gone 4-7 and losing seasons would directly affect the school's income. When universities become hostage to the income generated by their athletic departments, there are no heroes.

I don't think it's a particularly high moral standard that calls for phoning the police when a child has been violated in your workplace. That seems, to me, a fairly attainable standard for all of us.
 
angelmom said:
I don't understand the relevance of this statement.
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The notion that salary size indicates power. It was pointed out that Paterno made more than Spanier, which meant the power sat with him. But... that isn't a rarity, it happens at most Div. 1 colleges.
 
A very good opinion/article piece - complete article here: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2011/11/10/omelas-state-university/

bbm

Omelas State University
NOVEMBER 10, 2011 BY JOHN SCALZI

These things should be simple:

1. When, as an adult, you come come across another adult raping a small child, you should a) do everything in your power to rescue that child from the rapist, b) call the police the moment it is practicable.

....

3. If your underling comes to you to report that he saw another man, also your underling, raping a small child, but then left that small child with the rapist, you should a) call the police immediately, b) alert your own superiors, c) immediately suspend the alleged rapist underling from his job responsibilities pending a full investigation, d) at the appropriate time in the future ask that first underling why the **** he did not try to save that kid.
....

At Pennsylvania State University, a grown man found a blameless child being put through hell. Other grown men learned of it. Each of them had to make their choice, and decide, fundamentally, whether the continuation of their utopia — or at very least the illusion of their utopia — was worth the pain and suffering of that one child. Through their actions, and their inactions, we know the choice they made.
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Wanna bet the police would have been called IF it had been the janitor raping a child in the locker room showers..Wanna bet the janitor would have been hauled in to jail and fired on the spot...JMHO
 
Dr.Fessel said:
As soon as McQueary started telling Paterno about the rape Paterno cut him off. The coward stuck his head in the sand and left it there till he was called to the Grand Jury.

Paterno was breaking the minimum law by not letting McQueary tell him everything. Then he waited 10 days to get the rest of the crew together for McQueary to tell them at his house.
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May I ask where you found the 10 days? Everything I read states McQueary witnessed Friday, he and his father went to Paterno's home Saturday and Paterno informed Curley Sunday at his home.
 
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