The Penn State Scandal

Those who follow the news in the US surely have heard the ongoing news story concerning Penn State. A subordinate football coach named Sandusky is accused of sexually molesting at least eight boys; and, seemingly more important, Penn State's legendary head football coach, Joe Paterno, allegedly was told of this and did not make any report to law-enforcement authorities.

So—to paraphrase a sex-abuse lawyer in Minneapolis who commented on this case—it's a matter of a hierarchical structure trying to protect itself by silence, reminiscent of the sex-abuse scandals in the Catholic Church. The news of the abuse gets reported up and/or down the hierarchy but not to the authorities; and the members of the hierarchy conspire among themselves to maintain silence. (To some, the silence may be the most reprehensible part.)

Were this is to be solely a matter of sports news, simply involving football coaches, it would not be within my purview. However, Penn State is my alma mater—it's one of several schools from which I have a degree—so I do have some thoughts about the affair.

I know that at Penn State football is a big deal. And Joe Paterno, because he has been a very successful coach, is viewed as a hero at Penn State. He's pretty much idolized. He has been at Penn State for 62 years, I believe, so he was there even way back when I was a very young Penn State undergrad—and that's how I originally knew the name.

So even though he is not the one accused of doing the molesting, he seems to be the bigger object of attention. He is a bigger fish, so to speak, and he seems to be guilty of silence which, according to the lawyer quoted above, could be criminal.

So he is under a cloud but he still receives a great deal of support. It's pretty certain he won't be criminally prosecuted, and it also seems that, rather than having to resign immediately, he may be allowed to coach "four more games" as he has requested to do.

I have no predisposition either to be in this man's corner nor the opposite. However, when even the president of Penn State may be pressured to resign, I'd say that Joe Paterno is definitely being given very special treatment.

Update, November 10, 2011
The news today was that Paterno was fired yesterday. Students at Penn State rioted in protest. Given that, as I said, Paterno was virtually idolized, that's not so surprising. On the other hand, the sentiments being expressed on Twitter or Facebook mainly seem to condemn Paterno and others at Penn State as complicitous in the sex abuse, and I'd agree with that view.

Update, November 16, 2011
The Penn State matter continues in the news. To my mind news stories so often go on and on, because, I think, the news media like to milk a story for all it's worth.
With two words, "Penn State," the story is a cover story on People magazine. As an alumnus I have to say that I'm starting to be sad and even a bit distressed that those two words, "Penn State," seem to have become synonymous with "sex abuse scandal" and "coverup." I am glad that I am past my working career so that I do not have to submit resumes with "Penn State" on them as my educational background. The very name of the school has acquired those connotations and it's going to be a long time before Penn State can hold its head high again.

Copyright © 2011 by Richard Stein