The evidence shows that these four men also knew about a 1998 criminal investigation of Sandusky relating to suspected sexual misconduct with a young boy in a Penn State football locker room shower. Again, they showed no concern about that victim. The evidence shows that Mr. Paterno was made aware of the 1998 investigation of Sandusky, followed it closely, but failed to take any action, even though Sandusky had been a key member of his coaching staff for almost 30 years, and had an office just steps away from Mr. Paterno’s. At the very least, Mr. Paterno could have alerted the entire football staff, in order to prevent Sandusky from bringing another child into the Lasch Building. Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley also failed to alert the Board of Trustees about the 1998 investigation or take any further action against Mr. Sandusky. None of them even spoke to Sandusky about his conduct. In short, nothing was done and Sandusky was allowed to continue with impunity. – Louis Freeh
THE FREEH REPORT is out.
From the Daily Beast’s Diane Diamond:
Freeh, speaking after release of his team’s 200-pagereport, was more decisive. “Penn State failed to implement the provisions of the Clery Act, a 1990 federal law that requires the collecting and reporting of the crimes such as Sandusky committed on campus in 2001.” Freeh added that on the day of Sandusky’s arrest, “Penn State’s Clery Act implementation plan was still in draft form,” despite the fact that then-President Graham Spanier had held his post since 1995. (Punishment for violation of the act, named for Jeanne Clery, a Lehigh University freshman who was raped and murdered in her campus residence in 1986, is $27,500 per violation and the possible suspension from participating in federal student-aid programs.)
However, following a Pennsylvania jury’s overwhelming finding that Sandusky was guilty of 45 of 48 sex crimes, the most confounding non-development is why Penn State has taken no steps to make good on its verdict-night pledge to set up a response system “The purpose of the program is simple—the university wants to provide a forum where the university can privately, expeditiously and fairly address the victims’ concerns and compensate them for claims relating to the university.” Penn State’s public-relations team took pains to make sure that promissory statement was included in the media’s late night verdict reports on June 22.
How Joe Paterno lived with himself I don’t know, but it’s not a far stretch to say once the grave evil of Jerry Sandusky broke wide, what he knew just might have killed him.
People like Paterno simply can’t deal with issues like that, it falls outside their comfort zone. Lets not forget the young assistant coach who heard a slapping sound in the shower and discovered Sandusky raping a young boy up against the shower wall. Instead of confronting Sandusky or calling the police he called daddy who told him to come home. There is also the desire to protect the institution from ridicule, much like the actions taken by the Catholic church. The end justifies the means in that the whole is far more important than the piece. This is why people like Sandusky and all those priests felt safe in doing their deeds; the institution would protect them to avoid detection and any danger to their reputation.
These bastards and anyone involved in the coverup should be indicted, tried and if found guilty JAILED! And I hope the survivors sue the CRAP out of the school and anyone involved.
And the people in the area are “considering” changing the name of Joe Paterno Lane and “may” look at the possibility of taking down the statue to this disgusting freak. I can’t imagine anyone sending their kid to this school until it fully acknowledges what a wretch Paterno was and moves to eliminate every honor given to him.
Meanwhile, I’m sick to death of hearing Sandusky and Paterno included in the list of “victims” of this “tragedy.” This was a crime, and they were criminals. The Victims were the kids- not the bastards who participated in their abuse in order to save their big salaries. The kids will need years of counseling, and may never be made hole. Paterno is dead and his memory needs to be stripped of it’s laurels. Sandusky needs to never see the light of day again. Period.
May never be made “whole,” darn it.