Paterno and Spanier both fired!

[Kibitzer]

Immediately.

 

[ctchamps]

It appears that PSU may not have fulfilled the federal requirements for crime reporting on its campus.

The removal of Paterno and Spanier was absolutely in the cards and they are not out of the woods. But I expect that PSU will still get a lot of heat over this during the next year. This is horrible for all the faculty, students and alumni who had nothing to do with these matters, other than maybe not looking under the stone. But it is predictable.

I expect the Federal Justice Department might begin an investigation about the 98 and 2002 incidences.

 

[UConnCat]

Just watched the press conference. Not handled great; the BOT spokesperson was obviously not prepared for this firestorm. It is the right decision.

 

[MilfordHusky]

A tarnished tarnished legacy. What a mess!

Perhaps legally and certainly morally, they were remiss.

 

[cardfan]

Just watched the press conference. Not handled great; the BOT spokesperson was obviously not prepared for this firestorm. It is the right decision.

sad that their first question from the audience at press conference (not sure if it was press, student, employee, fan), was who was going to coach on Saturday. ugh

 

[Kait14]

McQueary needs to go too.. Running to daddy after you see a 60 year old man molesting a 10 year old is just unacceptable. I don't know what kind of human being doesn't beat the crap out of the guy or at the LEAST call the police

 

[alexrgct]

Just an unimaginable way for JoePa's career to end. Deserved, but a shame. It's not just that JoePa's legacy is irretrievably tarnished, which is his own fault, but that an institution that meant a lot to a lot of people and was a source of community and togetherness has been besmirched. My heart really hurts for the kids who were directly hurt by this, but also for the Penn State community, fans, and alumni. I hope the students who are currently (stupidly) rallying behind JoePa come together in a more productive way: getting behind a new era of Penn State football, and maybe even reaching out to abused children in some way. Wishful thinking perhaps, but I'm entitled to wish. There is still a lot of decency in this world despite all of this.

 

[cohenzone]

"McQueary needs to go too.. Running to daddy after you see a 60 year old man molesting a 10 year old is just unacceptable. I don't know what kind of human being doesn't beat the crap out of the guy or at the LEAST call the police"

+1000000
A few years ago, I learned that a guy I golfed with occasionally had been arrested for molesting his granddaughter from the time she was pretty young. If I had the chance at the time, non-violent me would have wrapped a 5 iron around his neck. BTW, I never would have suspected the guy. Middle class, good job, nice house, nice family, out-going. Makes you wonder about everyone once you encounter such non-obvious evil.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Tweet from RebeccaLobo
I've never been more proud to be the trustee of a university. PSU trustees obviously did the right thing.

 

[Wbbfan1]

IMHO the Trustees had to do this. As long as Joe Paterno was the head coach the story was not going away and it would become bigger as the days go on. Its still a big story, but now Penn State can say they did something about it.

As some as said, Joe Paterno's reputation is destroyed even if its proven later that he was not legally or morally responsible for anything.

 

[HuskyNan]

As some as said, Joe Paterno's reputation is destroyed even if its proven later that he was not legally or morally responsible for anything.

Huh? Any human being with a speck of conscience is morally responsible to do something about known child abuse.

 

[Icebear]

Joe was not legally responsible per the words of the state AG. If he is to be held legally responsible it will be because other information emerges not because of where we are at the moment. He did what he was supposed to do under the law. He acted ethically under the law.

Moral responsibility is different and the public outrage may or may not even be consistent with moral rightness. Unlike Nan's apparent suggestion of moral rightness as an absolute students of history know there is a lot of context to moral circumstance and action. Homosexuality is for many an act of moral failure. This is for us one of the greatest outrages, and rightfully so, but one only needs to study the Roman Empire to understand other cultures saw it differently. For me as a Christian the moral center of this falls under what we do to/for the least of these. Moral action is an interaction of individual and cultural values. Even the words ethics and moral or morality has its roots in the Greek word for "customs," ethos or the Latin mores.

As you have said, wbb, if when the facts come out it becomes clear Joe knew as little as fractions of one event which I agree is unlikely it will still be that something has been done to him that can never be undone. The process should have been allowed to play out once the safety of kids had been secured.

That the Board took action without ever speaking to Joe directly and to have terminated him by telephone is an act of cowardice.

ESPN has huge responsibility for driving the public outrage with raw speculation and what ifs without contributing anything to the understanding of reality. Such is the nature of talking heads and modern journalism making the story. As i said elsewhere where was the effort to understand the psychological dynamics that contribute to why people report and don't report and what they see and think they see. There are dozens of questions that still need answers but for the last 72 hours passions have been driven by what might be.

Remember that none of the outrage would be directed at Joe and McQueary if they hadn't stood up and given honest straight answers unlike Curley and Schultz. We are all outraged looking backwards but they lived it forwards knowing far less than we do. As Joe has repeatedly said, "Let the process play out," and we will see if our outrage is misplaced or not.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Many are outraged becasuse children were raped and no one did anything about it. ..in fact, it was covered up. No amount of self serving "let the legal process play out" rationalization(s) will change that.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I wonder how it would have "played out" if Paterno had put a stop to it. Were any other children raped after Paterno chose not to put a stop to Sandusky's behavior?

 

[Icebear]

Many are outraged becasuse children were raped and no one did anything about it. ..in fact, it was covered up. No amount of self serving "let the legal process play out" rationalization(s) will change that.

Of course, that horrendous abuse is the source of the outrage and it deserves every bit of it. Let the legal process is not any kind of self rationalization. It is the only way we have of understanding the real facts instead of pure emotion. The most important part of the law is not that constrains the corrupt and evil who will not be morally constrained but instead that it constrains the moral who in anger and haste may take action regrettable and unreversable. The law saves the moral from impulse and separates the immoral from the public arena for the safety of all.

 

[Icebear]

I wonder how it would have "played out" if Paterno had put a stop to it. Were any other children raped after Paterno chose not to put a stop to Sandusky's behavior?

Forget Paterno, what if the DA in 1998 had decided to prosecute the original case. Even if he had lost the public would have been alerted and forewarned. If so, even the 2000 and 2002 victims might have been spared and all of this mess. That was a legal authority with real authority who stepped aside. The DA had sufficient proof of inappropriate behavior including statement from Sandusky of inappropriate behavior and the department of someone from youth and family services. Why do we not have evidence of them ever warning the university or passing on the information, if so, Sandusky might have been completely isolated and eliminated from any use of campus facilities. If the university was informed then I am livid.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Of course, that horrendous abuse is the source of the outrage and it deserves every bit of it. Let the legal process is not any kind of self rationalization. It is the only way we have of understanding the real facts instead of pure emotion. The most important part of the law is not that constrains the corrupt and evil who will not be morally constrained but instead that it constrains the moral who in anger and haste may take action regrettable and unreversable. The law saves the moral from impulse and separates the immoral from the public arena for the safety of all.

I care about the kids, not retribution. I'll allow the lawyers to dance away from my eyes.

 

[Aluminny69]

Is it possible that the media and Grand Jury held off until Paterno broke the winningest coach record?

Here's an article from April 2, 2011:
Madden: Sandusky a State secret


"Forget Paterno what if the DA in 1998 had decided to prosecute the original case." Didn't he disappear mysteriously?

How do they appoint as interim coach a guy who has been there for 33 years? He knew nothing about any of this..never heard a rumor?.

 

[Icebear]

Is it possible that the media and Grand Jury held off until Paterno broke the winningest coach record?

Here's an article from April 2, 2011:
Madden: Sandusky a State secret


"Forget Paterno what if the DA in 1998 had decided to prosecute the original case." Didn't he disappear mysteriously? ICE: Yes seven years later and a decade after his brother committed suicide.

How do they appoint as interim coach a guy who has been there for 33 years? He knew nothing about any of this..never heard a rumor?.

Absolutely, if we are holding Paterno responsible for things supposedly known then why assume that anyone, especially, the man who was Sandusky's assistant is in the clear. It is all rush, rush, rush.

In addition, it is reported to the Grand Jury that abuse began through Second Mile reports between 1994-7.

 

[Icebear]

I care about the kids, not retribution. I'll allow the lawyers to dance away from my eyes.

Ozzie do not for a moment think that I am in anyway suggesting the kids are not the most important issue in terms of safety. They are now safe and there is no longer a need to rush. The need is to get it right.

 

[Aluminny69]

In 1998, a PSU security guard told Sandusky to stop taking showers with kids. SHOWERS WITH KIDS!!!! How did Paterno not know this was going on!

Sandusky was reportedly on campus last week!!!! The entire timeline on Sandusky is nothing more than a university and coaching staff enabling a sexual predator and turning a blind eye. They are complicit in the crimes and should pay the price.

I heard one commentator say, “If Bear Bryant heard what happened, he would have personally broke Sandusky’s neck with his bare hands.”

 

[Aluminny69]

IceBear, this seems appropriate:


Proverbs 24:10-12

New International Version (NIV)

Saying 25
10 If you falter in a time of trouble,
how small is your strength!
11 Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

 

[meyers7]

McQueary needs to go too.. Running to daddy after you see a 60 year old man molesting a 10 year old is just unacceptable. I don't know what kind of human being doesn't beat the crap out of the guy or at the LEAST call the police

Agree McQueary absolutely has to go. I mean it's one thing to have heard that someone was doing something wrong (Paterno), report it and not follow up. And it's completely another to actually observe someone doing something wrong (McQueary), report it and not follow up.

The moral outrage (for not following up or covering up - of course most of the outrage should be at Sandusky) should first be directed at McQueary, then Curly and Shultz, and then Paterno. It seems to be backwards now.

 

[Artifact]

Yes, I agree with the legal & moral implications. As often said, "It's the cover up that takes them down!' Least we forget, it's the victims that have suffered the most. The affect that it has on their lives, in many cases may be permanent. Statistics of such experiences has shown some disastrous results in relationship's with friends & family.

 

[Icebear]

In 1998, a PSU security guard told Sandusky to stop taking showers with kids. SHOWERS WITH KIDS!!!! How did Paterno not know this was going on!

Great question that needs to be asked but don't assume anything. The board did what it did last night to minimize liability nothing more. They panicked when they heard Joe say, " in hind sight I wish I had done more." They see that as a huge liability in a civil suit. The board was not seeking any moral high ground.