Freeh Report Press Release and Full Report (alternate links inside)

Louis Freeh has released his report detailing the results of his probe into the Sandusky scandal at Penn State. The servers at www.thefreehreportonpsu.com were instantly slammed with traffic.

Fortunately, I got through and was able to download a copy of the press release and appurtenant comments.

You can access it (PDF) here. 

UPDATE: Full report is available (PDF) here.

The findings are damning:

II. Findings
Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky’s child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State. The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized. Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley never demonstrated, through actions or words, any concern for the safety and well-being of Sandusky’s victims until after Sandusky’s arrest.

In critical written correspondence that we uncovered on March 20th of this year, we see evidence of their proposed plan of action in February 2001 that included reporting allegations about Sandusky to the authorities. After Mr. Curley consulted with Mr. Paterno, however, they changed the plan and decided not to make a report to the authorities. Their failure to protect the February 9, 2001 child victim, or make attempts to identify him, created a dangerous situation for other unknown, unsuspecting young boys who were lured to the Penn State campus and football games by Sandusky and victimized repeatedly by him.

Further, they exposed this child to additional harm by alerting Sandusky, who was the only one who knew the child’s identity, about what McQueary saw in the shower on the night of February 9, 2001.

The stated reasons by Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley for not taking action to identify the victim and for not reporting Sandusky to the police or Child Welfare are:

(1) Through counsel, Messrs. Curley and Schultz have stated that the “humane” thing to do in 2001 was to carefully and responsibly assess the best way to handle vague but troubling allegations.

(2) Mr. Paterno said that “I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was. So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn’t work out that way.”

(3) Mr. Spanier told the Special Investigative Counsel that he was never told by anyone that the February 2001 incident in the shower involved the sexual abuse of a child but only “horsing around.” He further stated that he never asked what “horsing around” by Sandusky entailed.

Taking into account the available witness statements and evidence, it is more reasonable to conclude that, in order to avoid the consequences of bad publicity, the most powerful leaders at Penn State University – Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley – repeatedly concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky’s child abuse from the authorities, the Board of Trustees, Penn State community, and the public at large. Although concern to treat the child abuser humanely was expressly stated, no such sentiments were ever expressed by them for Sandusky’s victims.

NCAA Statement:

NCAA statement on Penn State

Statement by Bob Williams, Vice President of Communications

“Like everyone else, we are reviewing the final report for the first time today.  As President Emmert wrote in his November 17^th letter to Penn State President Rodney Erickson and reiterated this week, the university has four key questions, concerning compliance with institutional control and ethics policies, to which it now needs to respond. Penn State’s response to the letter will inform our next steps, including whether or not to take further action. We expect Penn State’s continued cooperation in our examination of these issues.”

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Jerry Sandusky CONVICTED on 45 counts

Former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted on 45 of the 48 remaining charges in the child sex abuse case.

Now, let’s say some heartfelt prayers for his victims, and for those who have survived similar abuse. Their bravery cannot be understated. Sandusky spends the rest of his life in prison. Victims lives will never be the same.

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One wonders if Bill O’Brien knows what he’s walking into

Checking out the Associated Press’ story on new Penn State Coach Bill O’Brien’s highly anticipated arrival at Happy Valley, one has to wonder if this guy really knows what he’s walking into.

Anyone who thinks following Joe Paterno is comparable to winning Super Bowls doesn’t understand how little winning Super Bowls means.

Following a legend is difficult enough. Just ask Jimbo Fisher, who took over the Florida State program and followed legendary coach Bobby Bowden after the latter was gently forced to retire a couple of years ago.

Going even farther back, ask Ray Perkins, who took over the Alabama Crimson Tide following the retirement and untimely death of Paul Bryant nearly a generation ago.

Perkins bolted after only a few years. Fisher is struggling somewhat, but the pressure on both has to be measured in the hundreds of pounds per square inch.

I don’t have the sense that O’Brien really “gets it.”

Both of the previous examples followed coaches who had recently won national championships. Perkins had the much harder task—he followed a man revered by an entire state who, like Nittany Lions fans and alumni, won’t have the benefit of his predecessor offering quotes and quips about how well his successor is handling the pressure.

Instead, O’Brien’s every movement will be second guessed. From allowing facial hair and hats inside the building to calling timeouts; from practice regimens to playcalling. He’ll face unwithering criticism and no one will be able to get that reassuring pat on the back from JoePa, letting everyone know that it’ll be Ok.

Perkins had one advantage over both O’Brien and Fisher. He had bona fide connections with the program he was taking over. People sorta trusted him because he was one of “Bear’s Boys.” O’Brien doesn’t have any such leg-up and neither did Fisher (despite being named the “coach in waiting” by the Seminoles).

That makes the second guessing issue even more acute. When Penn State loses its first football game, the people who questioned his hiring—i.e., the football alumni—are coming out of the woodwork and openly wondering if a change should be made before the first season is even complete.

Don’t believe me? Just watch.

Happy Valley is a special place in college football. It’s as big as South Bend, as big as Tuscaloosa, as big as Austin and as big as Ann Arbor. It’s not just special because those places are used to winning. It’s special because the fans had a unique connection to their coaches and their football program. Take that environment likely and the riots that followed Paterno’s firing in November will seem like an afternoon couch burning.

O’Brien has massive shoes to fill and horrific wounds to heal. Judging by his comments and his actions to date, I’m not sure he understands that.

But he will.

Just ask Ray Perkins or Jimbo Fisher.

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“We might as well be in the SEC…”

As Penn State University appears set to name New England Patriots’ offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien the successor to Joe Paterno, former Nittany Lions players appear to be in open revolt. O’Brien has no experience as a head coach at either the NFL or college football level, and has absolutely no ties to Happy Valley, and the alumni—especially those who played for Paterno during his 46 year tenure—aren’t happy.

Nate Bauer of BlueWhiteIllustrated.com has a report with comments from a number of former stars, including All Americans LaVarr Arrington, Brandon Short and D.J. Dozier. "I will put my Butkus (Award) in storage. I will put my Alamo Bowl MVP trophy in storage," Arrington said. "Jerseys, anything Penn State, in storage. Wherever Tom Bradley goes, that's the school I will start to put memorabilia up in my home. I'm done. I'm done with Penn State. If they're done with us, I'm done with them."

Short: "I don't want to be affiliated with the university if they don't choose a Penn State guy because of our standards, our graduation, all the things that have been important... it's no longer Penn State, so we might as well be in the SEC. They are intent on turning it into a booster culture.”

Ouch.

The football alumni also say that no one involved in the search for Paterno’s successor has reached out to or consulted with them at any part of the process. There is perhaps no tighter community than the Penn State alumni, and the failure of the administration to even keep them in the loop looks like a decision that’s going to have a lot of very hot blowback.

The ESPN report cites “sources” and says that the terms of the deal are not yet known, which means that the deal isn’t done yet. Defensive coordinator Tom “Scrap” Bradley has served as the interim head coach since Paterno’s dismissal and remains the favorite of the alumni and prominent boosters.

We'll see if interim athletic director David Joyner and interim President Rodney Erickson stick to their guns and go through with hiring an unpopular O’Brien over the apparent fan, alumni and booster favorite Bradley.

The decision needs to be wrapped up quickly, as national signing day is now less than four weeks away and the new coach has a lot of ground to recover on the recruiting trail.

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Mike London’s success story at Virginia leading him to Penn State?

There’s a great profile piece on the Virginia Cavaliers’ Mike London written by al.com’s Auburn Bureau Beat Writer Evan Woodbery.

London is a Virginia native and after graduating from Richmond, London went professional in something other than sports and became a Richmond Police Officer. Seven years later, he entered the college coaching world and now uses his passion and straight-talk nature to form a cohesive football squad that believes in him.

London’s name was one of the first to pop up in connection with the Penn State job when the school fired Joe Paterno in November.

Woodbery explains how London has used his non-athletics contacts in the Commonwealth to stress academic performance and community service.

But what stands out about London is the fire he has and the way the players feel about their relationship with their coach. What London has accomplished at Virginia is similar to what James Franklin is attempting to do at Vanderbilt—take an academically challenging school and make it into a football power. They’re both doing it with passion, intensity and a no-excuses attitude that players respond to. When big name coaching jobs come open in the future, the Mike London’s and James Franklin’s of the coaching fraternity are going to come up.

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"He's passionate. He'll tell you how he feels," said offensive lineman Luke Bowanko. "He cares about us 100 percent. If he's worried about us, he'll bring us into his office and sit us down. He'll fight to the end for us."

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London inherited an ACC doormat that had won just three games the year before he was hired. He went 4-8 in 2010, then flipped that record into an 8-4 campaign in 2011, earning him ACC Coach of the Year honors. He and his players view the upcoming Chick Fil-A matchup against Auburn as a major milestone the program’s development. They may just want to win that one more than Auburn does, even if Auburn probably has the more talented team.

Where’s the Penn State connection? Why would the Nittany Lions reach out to someone with no connections to the school? A strong possibility is that they were sent in that direction by the very first individual PSU headhunters reached out to -- Penn State alum and current Miami head coach Al Golden. Golden decided not to pursue the opening after one year on the job at Coral Gables and reports surfaced that London was next on the list.

Golden and London were colleagues at Virginia in the 1990’s.

Both London and Virginia moved quickly to deny rumors of a pending move and speculation then moved onto other names. But one has to wonder what might happen after the two programs finish their bowl games this weekend.

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Two new reports paint ugly picture of Penn State culture

Two of the country’s largest and most influential daily newspapers—the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times—have feature stories on key figures in the Penn State case that has engulfed a state’s largest public institution in scandal and controversy.

The Times has a story from Richard Perez-Pena explaining how former university President Graham Spanier enjoyed both success and secrecy, despite being one of the highest profile presidents in the NCAA.

Spanier, according to the report, had a policy of shoring up defenses when his institution’s actions came into question:

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In his 16 years as president, Spanier and his administration had a history of circling the wagons in the face of criticism or scrutiny, fitting into what many say was an insular Penn State culture that preceded his tenure. It occurred when high-profile Penn State employees came under fire, when student actions threatened to embarrass the university, and when people sought to obtain information that almost any other public institution would be required to release.

That instinct might have accelerated Spanier’s downfall. On Nov. 5, when Gary Schultz, a senior vice president, and Tim Curley, the athletic director, were charged with perjury, Spanier released a statement saying he had “complete confidence” in their handling of the accusations against Sandusky — a statement that incensed university trustees, according to people briefed on their deliberations.

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Also today is a detailed report from the Journal’s Reed Albergotti, who describes how Joe Paterno often bitterly fought school officials over disciplinary issues facing his players. Time and time again, and with increasing frequency in later years, football players would be caught or accused of serious wrongdoing, only to have the coach attempt to prevent school officials from imposing the same discipline it would on ordinary students.

Paterno’s insistence and an ultimatum delivered to Spanier forced the school official responsible for student judicial affairs system to back off, and eventually resign over “philosophical differences.”

Taken together, these and other stories—such as those outlined in this piece by LivingCrimson—show that the school’s carefully crafted image as a model institution of compliance and success was a fraud. It’s this revelation that probably has so many college football fans reeling over the news of the last few weeks.

Until news of the Jerry Sandusky indictments on child sexual abuse charges, Penn State University and the Penn State Nittany Lions were universally revered as what was right and good about major college athletics. Penn State was held up by the school itself and many mainstream media figures as the kind of program all should strive to be.

But as more of these news stories peel back the layers, the more this case feels like learning that the parish convent was running a brothel.

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NCAA abandons policy and precedent with letter to Penn State

NCAA investigations into the actions of member schools have always followed the same path. But in an unprecedented scandal, league President Mark Emmert decided that unprecedented steps need to be taken.

Long-standing NCAA policy dictates the procedure. Credible allegations are received and reviewed. Information is collected. A Notice of Inquiry is transmitted from the VP of Enforcement to the school president. The NCAA staff conducts its investigation and if it finds violations of applicable by-laws, transmits a Notice of Allegations. The school appears before the Committee on Infractions and later hears what penance it must suffer as a result of its transgressions.

In the Penn State case, policy and procedure are gone. In his three-page letter to interim President Rodney Erickson, Emmert sternly warns the school that the league’s bedrock principles of ethical conduct, honesty, dignity are at stake as a result of potential inaction surrounding the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal.

The Emmert letter is unprecedented on two different levels. First is the fact that the letter informing Penn State of the pending probe comes from the NCAA president himself. In the modern era of NCAA investigations, never before has the president of the league written such a missive as this.  The official communication from the NCAA notifying a member school of a pending investigation has always come from the Vice President for Enforcement, the office currently held by Julie Roe Lach.

Also unprecedented is the fact that the NCAA has publicized the letter and publicly announced that it plans to launch an investigation. Having the letter originate from the office of the President is a big deal. Publicizing the matter is even bigger. The NCAA has vigorously guarded information regarding even the existence of investigations, steadfastly refusing to even acknowledge investigations that everyone knows are in progress.

So why make this one public? Emmert has said in interviews that this matter is not a traditional “enforcement” investigation and that ordinary rules aren’t in play here. He’s said that since the league doesn’t plan to send investigators to campus to interview coaches, officials or players, the policy governing enforcement procedure don’t fit in this case. But Emmert nonetheless cited specific by-laws that may have been violated, and violations of those by-laws in previous cases have brought harsh sanctions at the end of enforcement investigations.

There’s no doubt that the Sandusky scandal at Penn State is the worst, most-sickening stain on college athletics. Nothing even comes close. In an unprecedented case, Emmert is taking unprecedented steps. Some may cynically call it a PR ploy; accusing the league of trying to show that it is out in front of the story. There might be a mote of truth to that, but it’s much more likely that Emmert is finally getting the NCAA to do the right thing in the right way. If that means abandoning policy and breaking precedent, then so be it, says he.

But beware the law of unintended consequences. Abandoning precedent invites charges of arbitrary and capricious action, and provide the only good reason for judicial intervention.

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NCAA opens investigation into Penn State, inquiries to address “institutional control.”

The most dreaded phrase in NCAA Enforcement lexicon: “lack of institutional control.”

Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert took the unprecedented step of personally authoring a letter to Penn State interim President Rodney Erickson, initiating an investigation by the league into the school’s handling of the ever deepening, ever widening Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal.

Click here for the three page letter.

The scandal has claimed the jobs of the university president, a vice president, the athletics director and once iconic coach Joe Paterno.

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Video: Disturbing interview with Jerry Sandusky

Via the Today Show and MSNBC.com.

“I enjoy being around children. I enjoy their enthusiasm. I just have a good time with them.”

It’s a chilling segment.

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Reports from the Patriot-News’ Sara Ganim indicate that there were clues as early as 1995 that Sandusky’s evil was already underway. @LivingCrimson has an excellent rundown of how Penn State and law enforcement either knew or should have known what was going on throughout the 1990’s.

Here’s another data point on the timeline. If he was abusing children as far back as 1987, and given his target age of 10-14 years old, there may be people born in 1974 to 1977 still carrying the pain of abuse he is alleged to have inflicted.

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CBS Aaron Taylor personal statement gives hope for abused kids, strong stand on failure of Paterno

By: @LivingCrimson

In a moving statement, Aaron Taylor reveals he was the victim of abuse as a 5 year old. His message to other kids in that situation is the hope they can overcome such horrific trauma and go on to lead productive lives. Taylor was an All-American offensive tackle at Notre Dame, winning the Lombardi Award as the best lineman in college football. He was also an offensive guard in the NFL, playing for the Green Bay Packers and the San Diego Chargers.

Taylor goes on to say: ”All it takes for evil in the world to exist is for good men to stand by and do nothing.” In the Penn State situation, Taylor believes “people took their morality and replaced it with their loyalty; their loyalty to the brand, loyalty to the team, and that’s a systemic problem…” He hopes these issues do not harm the traditional role sports has played in helping victims focus on other things. “Sports has always served the role for us to be our soft place to fall during times of tragedy,” Taylor said.

Here’s link to video – having technical difficulties.

Aaron Taylor, Gary Danielson, Tim Brando, Adam Zucker

As my earlier post recounts, Joe Paterno knew about Sandusky’s alleged child abuse from at least 1998 and did nothing to prevent Sandusky bringing young boys into Penn State football facilities or to the hotels used by the team. Paterno also never attempted to stop Sandusky’s contact with boys through the charity The Second Mile.

Video of the pregame, sideline clearing, silence-inducing prayer before the Penn State Nebraska game today. The first game without Paterno on the sidelines since 1949.

Crowd respectful of pregame prayer

More updates on Twitter @LivingCrimson

NCAA may wade into Penn State scandal

NCAA President Mark Emmert released the following statement today regarding the Penn State scandal:

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Regarding the ongoing Penn State criminal investigation, the NCAA is actively monitoring developments and assessing appropriate steps moving forward. The NCAA will defer in the immediate term to law enforcement officials since this situation involved alleged crimes. As the facts are established through the justice system, we will determine whether Association bylaws have been violated and act accordingly. To be clear, civil and criminal law will always take precedence over Association rules.

Mark Emmert
President, NCAA

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So, which NCAA by-laws might apply here?  One suggestion is by-law 2.4:

2.4 THE PRINCIPLE OF SPORTSMANSHIP AND ETHICAL CONDUCT [*]
For intercollegiate athletics to promote the character development of participants, to enhance the integrity of higher education and to promote civility in society, student-athletes, coaches, and all others associated with these athletics programs and events should adhere to such fundamental values as respect, fairness, civility, honesty and responsibility. These values should be manifest not only in athletics participation, but also in the broad spectrum of activities affecting the athletics program. It is the responsibility of each institution to: (Revised: 1/9/96)

(a) Establish policies for sportsmanship and ethical conduct in intercollegiate athletics consistent with the educational mission and goals of the institution; and (Adopted: 1/9/96)

(b) Educate, on a continuing basis, all constituencies about the policies in Constitution 2.4-(a). (Adopted: 1/9/96)

It’s hard to imagine that the NCAA could do any more damage to the image of Penn State right now. It’s equally hard to imagine how any sanctions could punish the institution more severely than its being punished now in the court of public opinion.

Exit Question: Is this College Football’s “Watergate?” The one event in the history of something uniquely American that everyone points to as the day everything changed?

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It’s Ok to still love what Joe Paterno did for Penn State and College Football

Cross-posted on Business Insider Sports.

In a hastily called, somewhat raucous news conference last night, the Penn State University Board of Trustees announced that it had voted unanimously to terminate iconic football coach Joe Paterno. Also dismissed was president Graham Spanier, who shamelessly hid under his desk for nearly a week after formal indictments were handed down by a Pennsylvania grand jury.

In less than a week’s time a storied college football career came to an ugly and humiliating end and the octogenarian icon has no one to blame but himself.

Paterno came under absolutely withering public criticism over his failure to notify law enforcement that there were credible allegations of child sexual abuse regarding his long term defensive coordinator and one-time heir apparent, Jerry Sandusky. Prosecutors in the case have said that Paterno is not a target of their ongoing investigation, meaning that at least for now, they believe he fulfilled his legal obligation under state law to report the allegations to his superiors.

Paterno’s mistake was his failure to fulfill his moral obligation. As the most important figure in the history of a great university and storied football program, the iconic coach had all of the necessary gravitas to make sure that the institution’s handling of an alleged monster’s sexual predation was done right. Instead, he looked the other way while university vice president Gary Shultz and athletic director Tim Curley covered it up.

It was a monumental failure to exercise good moral judgment and do the right thing. As a result, other children likely suffered at the hands of a sicko for years. For that, Coach Paterno deserved to lose his job. He didn’t deserve to coach another game as soon as the facts established that he failed in his moral obligation. Once those facts were established—and they most certainly have been—the Board of Trustees had no choice.

No one will ever convince me that Paterno knowingly turned his back and allowed children to be irreparably harmed for the sole purpose of allowing him to remain at Penn State and exit the stage gracefully. The logical conclusion of that chain of thought is that Joe Paterno doesn’t care about kids and his entire life and legacy belies that. Look at the body of work. Call me naive. Call me foolish. But to these eyes that conclusion doesn’t make any sense.

It’s important to keep one very important fact in mind—Paterno made a mistake. It was a costly one in terms of the toll of human suffering it likely led to, but I choose to believe it was a decision made in grievous error rather than callous indifference or worse, outright malice. Paterno has always been one of the good guys. His football teams embodied his spirit of clean competition, fair play and good sportsmanship. Nittany Lion football persevered through difficult times; celebrated great times; stood on the highest pinnacle in the sport and while they usually did it with class, the program’s reputation took serious dents in its image in the later years (See LivingCrimson’s post for details).

Penn State University is a world class institution, and Penn State football is a top drawer program. Without Paterno, would the university or its athletics program be where it is today? While board vice chairman John Surma is absolutely correct in his assertion that Penn State University is bigger than its athletics program (and one man), Paterno’s influence on the school and college athletics is going to be felt for many generations to come.

It’s Ok to resolve that you will never forgive him for such a colossal failure of judgment. It’s Ok to believe—as I do—that last night’s decision by the Board of Trustees was the right thing to do. In fact, it’s Ok to argue that his dismissal or forced retirement should have come years ago. You’ll get no debate from me. If further investigation and findings of fact show that Paterno also bears legal responsibility for his inactions, then I’ll join you in the metaphorical torch and pitchfork parade. Paterno is neither a victim nor a martyr in this.

But on the field and with his football program, Paterno usually did the right thing and his teams usually did it the right way. Not always, but usually. College football and Penn State football are better for his tenure and his influence and it’s Ok to be Ok with that, Ok?

I am. For now, anyway.

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Paterno knew in 1990s about multiple Sandusky child molestations, may face new state and federal investigations

By: @LivingCrimson

As ESPN reported, effective Wednesday night the Penn State Board of Trustees fired Joe Paterno. President Graham Spanier resigned. Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley has been appointed acting interim head coach. Two other administrators, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, have lost their jobs and been indicted for perjury. All in the wake of a scandal to cover up long-term child sexual abuse which took place in the Penn State football complex, perpetrated by defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

 

The basis for this article is the Grand Jury Report, 23 pages of absolutely horrific reading, as published by the Washington Post. Background on the culture of “blindness” by Joe Paterno and the Penn State administration is taken from an opinion piece in The Baltimore Sun by Chris Korman, alumnus and former correspondent for the student newspaper The Daily Collegian.

 

Author’s note: All descriptions used in this article from the Grand Jury Report are “alleged” and have not yet been proven in a court of law. Sandusky maintains his innocence, and in this country that takes precedence until proven otherwise.

 

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In terms of sports scandals, it certainly ranks up there with

OJ Simpson, the Black Sox [and] Pete Rose

– NBC Philadelphia

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The winningest coach in college football, surpassing Coach Eddie Robinson. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. On the sidelines at Penn State since 1950. Joe Paterno’s accomplishments were universally respected. How we reached this sad day can best be attributed to the overriding desire by one powerful man to retain his position and influence. And belief in his own omnipotence. I don’t enjoy exposing the ugly truth about a revered coach, especially one who has played such a pivotal role in Alabama football history, but the grand jury testimonies are too damning to ignore. And the irrevocable harm perpetrated on an untold number of defenseless children gives us a MORAL IMPERATIVE to not let Paterno off the hook just because of his iconic stature.

 

NPR has compiled a summary of the Penn State employees involved in the scandal as well as a timeline. ESPN has also provided a a summary of employees and timeline of key events in the case.

 

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New state and federal investigations

may focus on Paterno

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After reviewing the testimony, it seems Joe Paterno should at the very least be indicted for lying to the Grand Jury alongside the other former Penn State administrators already indicted for perjury. Paterno’s testimony about the 2001 rape of a 10 year old boy -- reported directly to him by graduate assistant coach Mike McQueary – contradicts McQueary’s testimony. The Grand Jury found McQueary to be the credible witness. However, at this time the Pennsylvania Attorney General does not plan to pursue perjury charges against Paterno.

 

Yahoo! Sports reports the Pennsylvania Attorney General may further investigate Paterno for “heightened legal responsibility to report seeing Sandusky and a child together at their team’s practice” in 2007, years after Paterno had clear and direct knowledge of Sandusky’s child molestation.

 

ESPN reports the U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation into whether Penn State “violated federal law requiring the disclosure of criminal offenses on campus and warnings of crimes posing a threat to the community in its handling of the allegations” pursuant to the Clery Act. The Secretary of Education was petitioned by U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Penn.

 

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Paterno “retired” Sandusky in July 1999 after

an investigation of two child sex abuse cases in 1998

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An excellent article by the Milwaukee Bucks blog lays out the evidence that Joe Paterno was informed of the 1998 incidents and investigative findings of the University Police, and subsequently forced Sandusky to retire. That’s a full THREE YEARS before the 2001 incident.

 

Paterno was universally acknowledged as holding all the power in the Penn State athletics department and probably the University administration as well. Nothing happened anywhere near Penn State football that didn’t have Paterno’s knowledge or seal of approval. The former Athletic Director Tim Curley, now indicted for lying to the Grand Jury, was a quarterback under Paterno. Senior Vice President Gary Schultz, also indicted for perjury and who oversaw the University Police, went to Paterno’s house for meetings instead of requiring Paterno to come to his office.

 

According to the indictment, Penn State football employees witnessed Sandusky raping a boy, showering naked with boys, and other acts of sexual assault on at least three occasions in 1998, 2000 and 2001. University Police in 1998 prepared a lengthy report about two of the victims, then subsequently closed its investigation at the direction of Penn State administrators.

 

Despite logic and evidence that Paterno knew of Sandusky’s illicit actions as early as 1998, Paterno inexplicably kept Sandusky on staff with emeritus status and full access and privileges in the football program. The indictment's finding of facts allege that Sandusky continued to bring unchaperoned 7-13 year old boys to the football complex, games and events for another EIGHT YEARS that we know about.

 

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As a result of Joe Paterno’s indifference and enablement,

Sandusky was allowed to victimize more boys after 1998

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MOST OF THE BOYS WERE MOLESTED AT THE PENN STATE FOOTBALL FACILITIES, in addition to the hotel/resort where the football team stayed the night before home games and out-of-state hotels where the football team stayed for bowl games. Victims testified specifically that Sandusky began to bring the boys to the newly constructed Lasch Football Building in 1999 because areas were more “secluded” for his purposes. AFTER Paterno already knew about Sandusky.

 

Sandusky has been charged with 40 criminal counts of molesting eight young boys between 1994 and 2009 through his charity for at-risk youths, The Second Mile. Since his Nov. 5th arrest and arraignment, SEVENTEEN more victims have come forward to investigators. We don’t yet know how many of the newly discovered cases took place on the Penn State campus, under the noses of Paterno and the administration that turned a blind eye.

 

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Even after directly receiving an eyewitness report

about the horrifying crime in 2001,

Paterno never attempted to prevent

Sandusky’s access to children

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Paterno was a fundraiser and Honorary Board Member for The Second Mile. As the Grand Jury testimony indicates, Wendell Courtney, the attorney for both Penn State and The Second Mile, oversaw the 1998 cases investigated by University Police. Paterno and Courtney also were well aware of the 2001 atrocity. At no time did either man, despite their knowledge of the child abuse, make any attempt to prevent Sandusky’s access to children through the charity. Sandusky continued his unchaperoned contact and travel with children for another TEN YEARS. (The charity’s website disputes it had any knowledge of Sandusky’s sexual abuse until the end of 2008, contrary to Grand Jury testimony.)

 

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Paterno also began to turn a blind eye to outbreaks of crime

and violence committed by his football players

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In 1999, Paterno defended linebacker LaVar Arrington after he assaulted a defenseless Pitt punter in the middle of a game. Then in 2000 he allowed quarterback Rashard Casey to start every game despite being charged with assaulting a cop.

 

In subsequent years according to Chris Korman, “Players were constantly getting into violent altercations with other students…. There were fights at the ice skating rink, the union building at the center of campus, frats, apartments, houses.” Former Ravens cornerback Anwar Phillips was accused of sexual assault, yet was allowed to “play in a bowl game before serving his two-semester suspension”. Korman looked into “probably a half-dozen others [sexual assault cases] that never went to trial. Women were fearful they'd never get a fair trial in State College. Victims of beatings knew the scales of justice were already tilted against them. ESPN actually compiled numbers to show just how rambunctious it got in Happy Valley, reporting that from 2002 to 2008 there were 46 players charged with 163 counts.”

 

In 2006, LaVon Chisley, a defensive end who spent three years in the program, killed a fellow student by stabbing him 93 times. This was after he took loans from sports agents and became academically ineligible to play football. However, he was allowed to participate in Penn State’s Pro Day.

 

Paterno even went so far as to say Tony Johnson, a wide receiver arrested for DUI "didn't do anything to anyone."

 

Sports Illustrated in 2011 declared Penn State as one of the worst schools in college football for players with police records with 16 players charged.

 

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Despite a culture gone seriously awry, Paterno and Penn State maintained a false reputation of high character

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Up until last weekend, nobody in the national media seriously questioned Joe Paterno or his methods. Why did the local media not see the downward spiral at Penn State?

 

Why is Penn State paying the legal fees of Curley, Shultz and Spanier? And issuing statements that it stands behind them?

 

How can so many serious crimes in such a small town go unreported, unprosecuted and unchecked? Why did Mike McQueary not rescue a 10 year old boy when he had the chance?

 

What happened to the missing district attorney from the 1998 child abuse cases, and why take his hard drive?

 

How could Paterno continue to raise money for a charity founded and run by an alleged serial child abuser? And convince other celebrities and well-known sports figures to join in the cause? This charity raised MILLIONS of dollars and exercised a frightening amount of control over these children and their families. The CEO and his wife drew six-figure salaries, all while failing to stop what grand jury testimony indicts as a predator.

 

Sandusky formed his charity in 1977. He had a tried-and-true routine to escalate inappropriate sexual contact with boys, as documented in the Grand Jury Report. Does any reasonable person believe he never engaged in this behavior from 1977 to 1994? How much more does Paterno know and will not reveal?

 

Why did Joe Paterno not care about these little boys? He has children and grandchildren.

 

Why does the NCAA care about $10 meals and sharing sleep couches, but is utterly and completely useless in the face of a football program’s failure at the most fundamental level?

 

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Don’t be fooled by “sorrow” coming out of Paterno now –

as late as last week Sandusky continued his

normal routine in the football complex

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Victims’ mothers aren’t buying it either. Said one mother, “If they would have done something about it in 1998, and then again in 2002 … two chances they dropped the ball and I think they should all be held accountable.”

 

Students placed some of the words from the Penn State alma mater on Paterno’s statue: “May no act of ours bring shame.”

 

Turns out Joe Paterno failed to surpass Eddie Robinson after all. As Coach Robinson’s motto says:

 

“To be accountable all the time, even when no one was looking.”

 

 

 

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Video: Press conference announcing the dismissal of Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier

Who let the fans into the press conference?

Watch as John Surma, Penn State University Board of Trustees Vice Chairman, announces first that President Graham Spanier, then Coach Joe Paterno, had been dismissed. As the announcement is made, a very audible collective expression of shock comes from the floor.

Given the gravity and of the occasion it’s understanding, but note that as the press conference goes on it’s difficult to tell the press from the fans. This is a 22 minute-long video, but if you’ve got the time and a fresh cup, watch the whole thing.

It does get quite testy in the last three to four minutes, and it’s clear that the questions are coming from fans.

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Helmet tap to PSUComRadio for the YouTube video.

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Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist schedule protest for Penn State – Nebraska game

If you thought the Penn State scandal couldn’t get any more circus-like than it already is, then we have some news.

The same disgusting group that pickets the funerals of fallen soldiers has decided that the Penn State Sandusky scandal is an opportunity for attention whoring that’s too big to pass up.

And let’s be honest—there’s not a bigger attention whore on the planet that the “reverend” Fred Phelps.

I’m not linking to the vile site. So here’s the text of their statement on the “event.”

 

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WBC will picket the Penn State vs. Nebraska "Senior Day Clash."  Now there are two doomed states if ever there were. On the one side you have Nebraska who arrested one of the servants of God for allowing her son to stand on this nations idol.  On the other side you have the state that started the mischief of putting the church of the Lord Jesus Christ on trial for preaching! 

Now, Penn State has the wrath of God raining down on them in righteous judgement!  They have taken from the playbook of the Catholics.  Let's diddle the little kiddies and hide it from top to bottom!  Fitting that the head cover-up artist is called the Pope of Happy Valley.  How sick is that!  Not surprising, but sick!  College in this country is nothing more than a giant party, with a few classes set to instruct in sin thrown in for good measure.  What you have turned out of those classes are raping priests, raping coaches, raping marines, along with various other  violent dangerous brutes that are poised to be tomorrows "heroes" in this vile land.  Wake up!  You have angered your God beyond recovery.  More and worse is coming!  America is doomed!

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush:  therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.  Jeremiah 6:15 & 8:12

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You may recall that a group of innovative patriots decided to take measures into their own hands when the Westboro bigots tried to picket a funeral in Weston, Missouri just one year ago. There’s no love lost here for the school leadership, but Saturday’s contest between Nebraska and Penn State should be about football, not about attention whoring.

I hope Penn State fans can channel some of their anger and direct it at people for whom hate knows bounds we cannot comprehend. I also hope they come up with a new and innovative way of keeping the attention whores of Westboro Baptists from making the scene they so desperately need.

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Joe Paterno mobbed by reporters outside home (VIDEO)

Watch as reporters mob Penn State Coach Joe Paterno Tuesday. Paterno was leaving his home for a team practice Tuesday afternoon. The beleaguered coach was originally scheduled to meet with reporters today at 12:20 PM EST, but President Grant Spanier abruptly cancelled the presser less than an hour before.

More than 150 media members had gathered for the press conference, so the incident below isn’t exactly shocking.

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Slideshow: Joe Paterno Mobbed By Reporters: MyFoxPHILLY.com

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Video courtesy of MyFoxPHILLY.com

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Reports: Media, Penn State University and others knew about Sandusky investigation in 2009

One of the greatest college sports programs in history is melting down, and we’re watching in real time as events unfold.

Many observers are struck by Penn State’s disastrous crisis management. Since the indictments were handed down late Friday, charging Penn State Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky with unspeakable crimes against children, those involved raised a facade of shock and disbelief.

The late night, weekend statements released by Penn State President Graham Spanier and Coach Joe Paterno expressed shock and sadness. Emergency meetings were held in the dead of night. High ranking heads rolled within hours of receiving “unconditional support.” A regularly scheduled press conference was cancelled and an off-campus, unofficial presser was rumored to be set for later the same day. Reading those statements and interpreting those events, one almost gets the sense that they were blindsided.

No one saw it coming?

Not so fast.The Harrisburg Patriot-News found out about the investigation in March 2009 and began tracking the story a few months later.

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Staff writer Sara Ganim first heard about these allegations in March 2009, shortly after they were reported to police. She began working on the story in August of last year after speaking with a couple of people who could corroborate and fill in certain details of the investigation.

Over the next seven months, Sara did reporting in Centre, Mifflin, Clinton and Dauphin counties. She interviewed more than 26 people, often three or four times. We confirmed their statements in other ways, as well.

Nearly everyone in this story spoke on condition of anonymity. That concerned us from the very beginning. At every step, we made certain that at least two different and wholly unrelated people — and nearly always more — reported the same facts.

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When you have two (or more) anonymous sources independently providing you with the same information, you run with it. I’ve done it on this blog and watched as the story I wrote unfold as reported. Even in sensitive matters like this, two independent and corroborating sources are solid gold. The only thing more credible is possession of the fabled smoking gun.

The indictment of Sandusky and the media meltdown that has ensued shouldn’t have surprised anyone. It couldn’t have surprised Spanier, Curley, Shultz or Paterno. Not only did they certainly know that the Patriot-News was aware of and actively covering the story. They knew from firsthand knowledge and testimony before the grand jury. They knew.

In March and April of this year, the Patriot-News was publishing and defending themselves against harsh criticism. The column linked above details the careful, meticulous journalism employed in developing their story. So where was the mainstream sports media? What had them so busy at the time that this story slipped between the cracks and hit the bit bucket instead of the front page?

Could it have been the fall of another Big 10 Legend?

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Joe Paterno’s ugly exit has begun

He’s 84 years old. He’s been the head coach of Penn State football for 46 years. He first stepped on the field as the man in charge when the Vietnam War was raging half a world a way. He played against some of the biggest legends in college football and won two national championships.

He had become college football’s most revered and iconic figure. Even rival fans loved him. He won more football games than any coach in history and his record will likely stand as long as his statue in Happy Valley.

But in the next few days or weeks, Joe Paterno will leave Penn State in disgrace.

From Pete Thamel in the New York Times:

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The board of trustees has yet to determine the precise timing of Paterno’s exit, but it is clear that the man who has more victories than any other coach at college football’s top level and who made Penn State a prestigious brand will not survive to coach another season. Discussions about how to manage his departure have begun, according to the two people.

Paterno was to have held a news conference Tuesday but the university canceled it less than an hour before it was scheduled to start.

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His crime—failing to exercise the moral obligations he had to report Jerry Sandusky’s sexual predation of minor children for a period of more than 10 years, make sure that the victims of his long-time right hand man received the counseling and support of the institution and immediately dismissing the alleged perpetrator.

As many as nine minor boys were alleged to have been victimized by Sandusky. In its broadcasts during the day today, ESPN has reported that the ninth victim has come forward (the grand jury originally indicted Sandusky for molesting eight). More are likely to come.

The toll on the careers of once respected men—Vice President Gary Shultz, Athletic Director Tim Curley, JoePa and likely President Graham Spanier—is staggering. But it shouldn’t overshadow the heartbreaking human toll of this tragedy. Nine and possibly more defenseless children were brutalized by a predator, while all of the men who should have exercised their responsibility to God and the good of mankind kept quiet. They may have done great things for their beloved Penn State University, but in their roles as men of honor and integrity, they failed miserably.

JoePa, the once beloved face of that university, now sees his legacy forever tarnished not for what he did, but for what he failed to do for those who needed him most.

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Happy Valley’s dark, ugly secret

Jerry Sandusky, former Penn State Nittany Lions assistant coach was indicted last week on felony sex abuse charges against minors. Sandusky will faces 40 counts of involuntary deviant sexual intercourse of someone under 16, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault of someone under 16, indecent assault of someone under 13, and corruption of minors. The incidents were alleged to have taken place from 1996 through 2005 and the was handed down after a two-year long grand jury investigation.

Read the grand jury report for yourself, but be prepared to vomit. It is disgusting.

Also indicted were Penn Athletic Director Tim Curley and PSU Vice President Gary Schultz, who will be charged with felony perjury in their grand jury testimony in the case and failure to report to law enforcement what they knew about Sandusky's behavior.

As with all criminal cases, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. But if true, this scandal would represent a dark and ugly secret, kept quiet by people who had a responsibility to stop and report the abuse. There is a special place in hell for people who hurt children and Mr. Sandusky—if convicted—will spend the rest of his natural life in prison and then enter his eternity of perdition. Is there also a special place in hell for those who knew what was going on, and covered it up? What if one of those was a beloved icon of college football?

In a statement released Sunday, legendary football coach Joe Paterno said “we were all fooled” by someone who, according to the indictment, had engaged in unspeakable abuses of children for ten years. Can we seriously believe that an entire athletics administration had no idea that there may have been a pedophile on their staff? Can we accept the fact that by failing to report the alleged behavior and allowing Sandusky to remain employed by the university until he retired, Penn State not only covered up the scandal, but enabled Sandusky to continue the unimaginable crimes he is accused of?

This is not a college football scandal. This descends far deeper than improper benefits, illegal recruiting, point shaving or doping. This isn’t about a bunch of bowl and conference executives living large and gaming a system for money, power and prestige. This is a scandal in which the most defenseless of victims were alleged to have been horribly and irreparably harmed over and over again, and people with the knowledge and responsibility to stop the abuse failed them. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.

Curley and Schultz have both stepped down from their positions at the university. Coach Paterno—who testified before the grand jury—remains. Paterno says he was told of an incident by an assistant coach who witnessed Sandusky abusing one of his victims and, since Sandusky was retired at the time of the incident, reported it to the athletics department. Paterno’s son Scott—an attorney who helped his father draft his statement—says that’s all he could do. If that makes you squirm in discomfort, join the club. I shudder to think that a man of JoePa’s character and intellect would not conclude that Sandusky may have been engaging in a horrible pattern of abuse and do something about it. If he thought what he was told was credible, he had a moral obligation to do more than just pick up the phone and call Curley.

A week ago today, the college football world was toasting JoePa’s 409th career victory, making him the all-time winningest coach in history. But today, we’re wondering whether that legacy will now be forever tarnished. Instead of remembering him for all of the young people he helped through his decades as a college football coach, some will ask: “What did JoePa know, and when did he know it?”

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Bama vs Penn State

We made the drive from Mobile to Tuscaloosa last night.

Even though it's only 8:00 am and the grass is still dewy, the crowds have already started getting electric on The Quad.

The grills are already fired up. The beer is already flowing. The place already smells and feels like FOOTBALL.

There's a huge group of students congregating near the ESPN Gameday set (from both teams) and it looks like they haven't slept.

This town is going to be rockin' come kickoff.