Penn State AD and Sandusky Charged

Sprowl

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Curley began his executive career as the grad assistant who served as Joe's personal assistant in the late 1970s. The joke was his job was to carry Joe's underwear around in a brief case on road trips. 15 years later, he was athletic director. Totally underqualified.
Curley: a nominal superior who started out as a flunky protegé -- that is consistent with Paterno handing on a problem to be buried.
 

J.McG

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Aug 11, 2011
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What is most shocking to me, obviously next to the actual allegations themselves, is how PSU has royally fucked up in its response to this whole mess. The grand jury was convened more than 2 years ago - the board of trustees had no idea that these indictments were coming? Hard to believe. Based on what I've read and heard, the investigation was no secret. It was reported by local media months ago. Certainly Paterno (only recently "shocked" by the findings of the same grand jury investigation he was a part of), Spanier, Curley and Schultz were aware of the investigation and the seriousness of the allegations.

Are we to believe the board never had an inkling of any of this? If they had even the slightest suspicion that a grand jury was investigating an extensive history of child molestation within its own football program involving those in positions of the highest authority at the university, shouldn't they have started grilling people right then and there? At least develop a plan of action for a worse case scenario should charges come to light? Take action now, ask questions later. Instead they're caught with their pants down and their thumbs up their asses. No one knows what to do or how to do it. It's either incompetence, willful ignorance or Paterno really does run that university from top to bottom.

The board's "special committee commissioned to determine what failures occurred, who is responsible and what measures are necessary to insure that this never happens at our university again" is a joke. It's like Arthur Andersen commissioning a special audit committee to look into the collapse of Enron. How can you expect the same people who were asleep at the wheel whle this occured, and will be involved in multiple lawsuits as a result, to preside over anything close to a credible investigation? It will just be more of the cover-your-ass, scapegoating BS we're hearing now. Personally, I wouldn't trust any investigation conducted by local or state authorities at this point. The rabbit hole goes far too deep. There needs to be a 9/11 Commission-type federal investigation into this.

[as I'm writing, now seeing that U.S. Board of Education is opening an investigation - water just got a little warmer]
 

Average Reds

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I still think the game this weekend is going to be an embarassment for PSU, even if Nebraska fans on the road may be polite.

Next week, OSU fans won't be so polite.
If the Trustees were thinking about the well-being of Penn State University, they would not allow Joe Paterno to coach on Saturday.

This will be the final home game of Paterno's career. The crowd will shower him with love and unbridled affection There will be tears, there will be moments of exhilaration, and there will be no mention of the scandal that has rocked State College over the past few days. The national TV audience will see this and be justifiably appalled at the spectacle.

Again, if the Trustees really, really cared about the university, there is no way in hell they will let this happen.
 

PC Drunken Friar

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Is there any truth to the rumor going around that Paterno showed up at Sandovsky's retirement party, said a couple words, then promptly left? A google search just sorta mentions it all on blogs and message boards. If true...
 

Infield Infidel

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What makes me sick about McQueary, besides his failure to go to police for what are likely selfish reasons and cowardice, is that once he knew that Paterno did nothing, the school did nothing, and the cops did nothing, he accepted a job in what he knew was a corrupt organization and remains there to this day. He chose a paycheck and prestige over helping to stop a sexual predator from harming other kids. I hope that decision haunts him for the rest of his life. It should.
Here's the thing that's damning to me. Sandusky retires at 55, and stays in State College.
McQueary is a grad assistant, then promoted, but stays at Penn St as an assistant coach for 8 years after the promotion. Generally, asst. coaches move around a bit. Staying in one place for that long as anything other than a coordinator is akin to going to the same grad school where you did undergrad. It's not bad thing, but people think you stayed because you were comfy, instead of diversifying your resume with different locales and to get out of your comfort zone.

We can blame McQueary for staying there, but did Joe or the AD stop MM and Sandusky from interviewing for other jobs, to keep this all in house? I think it's apparent that both sides are culpable.
 

Kremlin Watcher

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So I guess Michael Haynes (former Penn State All-American LB) told ESPN that Sandusky's perderasty has been known throughout the community for years. Said his mom, who works at the university, told him. Said everyone was too scared of reprisals to talk about it.

If true then I think we can say with confidence that a) the entire Penn State administration failed on a monumental scale, and b) a lot of people are going to burn for this. Just incredible. A university-sponsored serial child rapist. Who didn't even work for the university during the last 12 years of his spree. A major institute of higher education allowed a non-affiliated third party to use university facilities to rape little boys. That Penn State cocoon is going to get broken wide open.


Edit - spelling
 

canderson

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What is most shocking to me, obviously next to the actual allegations themselves, is how PSU has royally fucked up in its response to this whole mess.
There will be many PR crisis management books written on this. PSU mismanaged this to a level that's incomprehendable.
 

JBill

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So I guess Michael Haynes (former Penn State All-American LB) told ESPN that Sandusky's perderasty has been known throughout the community for years. Said his mom, who works at the university, told him. Said everyone was too scared of reprisals to talk about it.
Scared of reprisals? No one could call the cops, even anonymously? Were the cops all in on it too, all of them? I don't understand.
 

Jnai

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I started out thinking that this was some major misjudgement on the part of McQueary and Paterno, but the more I read, the most this starts to look like an epic fucking cover up. It's going to be years before they get to the bottom of this shit. This is a disaster.

I mean, everything about this timeline suggests that this wasn't some backburner incident, but was the event that defined entire careers.
 

Sea Bass Neely

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Here's the thing that's damning to me. Sandusky retires at 55, and stays in State College.
McQueary is a grad assistant, then promoted, but stays at Penn St as an assistant coach for 8 years after the promotion. Generally, asst. coaches move around a bit. Staying in one place for that long as anything other than a coordinator is akin to going to the same grad school where you did undergrad. It's not bad thing, but people think you stayed because you were comfy, instead of diversifying your resume with different locales and to get out of your comfort zone.

We can blame McQueary for staying there, but did Joe or the AD stop MM and Sandusky from interviewing for other jobs, to keep this all in house? I think it's apparent that both sides are culpable.
Pretty sure McQueary was born and raised in State College.
 

doldmoose34

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new definition of "retarded':

first you post this :
CSteinhardt


Am I the only one that thinks this is a bit premature?

If Sandusky is guilty, everybody who enabled his conduct should burn in hell, and rightly so. But there's a good reason that we don't convict people and punish them on the basis of the prosecution's case alone. Sandusky is accused of these heinous acts, not convicted. Remember those Duke rape allegations?

The concept of innocent until proven guilty is never a popular one in cases that provoke this type of moral outrage, and I, too, will be outraged if the events the prosecution claims occurred actually did. But, it's also a real mistake for a university -- particularly a public university that's an arm of the government -- to be punishing people for covering up an illegal act before it's been proven that the illegal act (or coverup) actually happened.

In other words, if Paterno, the AD, etc. want to resign because they think it's in their best interest, the university's best interest, etc., that's their choice. If they would prefer to brazen it out, they'll look all that much worse when Sandusky is convicted. But until then, the board of a public university sends a horrible message if it forces them out, doesn't it?

It takes in many ways much greater courage to, upon sober reflection, presume innocence of a horrific crime than it does even to react properly to stop it. But, that's also part of what it means to be American, and I hope we don't forget that in our rush to attack everybody involved.

then you follow up with this:

i didn't read the GJ report, so to some extent I'm proceeding out of ignorance.
how about this SHUT THE FUCK UP UNTIL YOU READ THE GRAND JURY REPORT
 

Kremlin Watcher

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Scared of reprisals? No one could call the cops, even anonymously? Were the cops all in on it too, all of them? I don't understand.
Fuck if I know. Everything about this situation is so far beyond my understanding that it is becoming absurd. I read and hear the information but am running out of the ability to process it. A university-sponsored serial child rapist. A 50-year old man sodomizes boys in a public shower, with witnesses, and nothing is done. Just does not compute.
 

PC Drunken Friar

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So I guess Michael Haynes (former Penn State All-American LB) told ESPN that Sandusky's perderasty has been known throughout the community for years. Said his mom, who works at the university, told him. Said everyone was too scared of reprisals to talk about it.

If true then I think we can say with confidence that a) the entire Penn State administration failed on a monumental scale, and b) a lot of people are going to burn for this. Just incredible. A university-sponsored serial child rapist. Who didn't even work for the university during the last 12 years of his spree. A major institute of higher education allowed a non-affiliated third party to use university facilities to rape little boys. That Penn State cocoon is going to get broken wide open.


Edit - spelling
The way that I heard it was that Haynes' mom told him that RECENTLY, as in the past month (many months) or so when the Grand Jury was investigating, everyone was talking about it.
 

Infield Infidel

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I have no idea what I'd do if I witnessed what McQueary witnessed.

But I know exactly what I'd do if the higher ups did nothing about it. I would be terrified of them, and the cops. I'd take the first job offer I got and then report it to the state authorities. I don't care if it's assistant curling coach at West Texas State School for Culinary Arts, I'm getting the hell out of State College.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Here's the thing that's damning to me. Sandusky retires at 55, and stays in State College.
McQueary is a grad assistant, then promoted, but stays at Penn St as an assistant coach for 8 years after the promotion. Generally, asst. coaches move around a bit. Staying in one place for that long as anything other than a coordinator is akin to going to the same grad school where you did undergrad. It's not bad thing, but people think you stayed because you were comfy, instead of diversifying your resume with different locales and to get out of your comfort zone.

We can blame McQueary for staying there, but did Joe or the AD stop MM and Sandusky from interviewing for other jobs, to keep this all in house? I think it's apparent that both sides are culpable.
I doubt Joe this had anything to do with it. McQueary grew up right next to Happy Valley and attended Penn State, he had "lifer" written all over him.......and Sandusky DID interview for the Virginia job in 2000 the year after he "retired."
 

Kremlin Watcher

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The way that I heard it was that Haynes' mom told him that RECENTLY, as in the past month (many months) or so when the Grand Jury was investigating, everyone was talking about it.
I didn't hear it - read it on another board. But wouldn't change the substance. Some lady who works at PSU tells her son that "everyone" knows. That will be another nail in the PSU coffin in the upcoming legal procedings.
 

Delicious Sponge

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There will be many PR crisis management books written on this. PSU mismanaged this to a level that's incomprehendable.
Yes but it's much worse than this.

They don't seem to know what to say or do because it sure looks like there fresh out of people that weren't aware of what was going on. The scary thing for PSU is that when the lawsuits come - and they will, and they will be big - they will credibly claim the entire institution is a corrupt organization. It is going to get much, much worse.

IF there was some credible leadership at PSU (and that seems to be a big if) they have to completely separate PSU from all of the people involved in this in any way RIGHT AWAY. Fire them, put them on forced leave, whatever, but make them gone now, no matter how far up in the organization this goes. They need to make clear these were the actions of a few people acting well outside the scope of their authority and not an official act of the university.

Every day that goes by without them doing this makes me think they simply can't. What happens to organizations where the management and the Board are corrupt? Very, very bad things.
 

86spike

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So I guess Michael Haynes (former Penn State All-American LB) told ESPN that Sandusky's perderasty has been known throughout the community for years. Said his mom, who works at the university, told him. Said everyone was too scared of reprisals to talk about it.

If true then I think we can say with confidence that a) the entire Penn State administration failed on a monumental scale, and b) a lot of people are going to burn for this. Just incredible. A university-sponsored serial child rapist. Who didn't even work for the university during the last 12 years of his spree. A major institute of higher education allowed a non-affiliated third party to use university facilities to rape little boys. That Penn State cocoon is going to get broken wide open.


Edit - spelling
Every investigative reporter in the country is now on their way to PSU to dig through the dirty laundry.

We're going to learn a lot of shit.
 

Infield Infidel

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I doubt Joe this had anything to do with it. McQueary grew up right next to Happy Valley and attended Penn State, he had "lifer" written all over him.......and Sandusky DID interview for the Virginia job in 2000 the year after he "retired."
If he wants a career in coaching, these days, did he think he'd stay there his whole career?

I forgot about the UVA interview. I wonder what the then-AD at UVA is thinking right now
 

PC Drunken Friar

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I didn't hear it - read it on another board. But wouldn't change the substance. Some lady who works at PSU tells her son that "everyone" knows. That will be another nail in the PSU coffin in the upcoming legal procedings.

nut, it DOES change the substance...he never said that everyone KNEW Sandovsky was a pedophile, he said that everyone knew there was an INVESTIGATION into it.
 

mr_smith02

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Note to ESPN and all media outlets covering this story...

They all need to be held accountable to fullest extent of every law that can be found, but please can the media be certain to include Sandusky's name in each and every one of the stories and headlines. Sandusky is the one these innocent young men will have seared in their psyche for years to come...he deserves to have every American see his name as the very definition of vile. Yes, Paterno and all the administrators must be held accountable, but include Sandusky's name in every one of the stories too; he has scarred this boys for life.
 

Kremlin Watcher

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nut, it DOES change the substance...he never said that everyone KNEW Sandovsky was a pedophile, he said that everyone knew there was an INVESTIGATION into it.
Yah, so maybe I misread that bit. But if you look at the body of everything written on this topic, it is clear that Sandusky's penchant for molesting boys was well known.

BTW - what does "nut" mean?

Edit - added question.
 

StuckOnYouk

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I have no idea what I'd do if I witnessed what McQueary witnessed.

But I know exactly what I'd do if the higher ups did nothing about it. I would be terrified of them, and the cops. I'd take the first job offer I got and then report it to the state authorities. I don't care if it's assistant curling coach at West Texas State School for Culinary Arts, I'm getting the hell out of State College.
Agreed.

I try to give McQueary the benefit of the doubt, although it's very difficult. Maybe what he saw was so horrific and unexpected that he practically blanked and his mind was just too roasted to do the right thing and he just ran for his daddy.

OK whatever. But how about a year later. When you know that nothing is being done and there's more clarity and you've got that vision of a 10 year old being anally raped over and over in your mind thousands of times. Isn't that the time to get the hell out of dodge and go to OUTSIDE authorities? Surely it would be foolish to trust anyone with ties to the university, including the campus police.

But he chose to stay for 9 more years. Despicable.
 

86spike

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Agreed.

I try to give McQueary the benefit of the doubt, although it's very difficult. Maybe what he saw was so horrific and unexpected that he practically blanked and his mind was just too roasted to do the right thing and he just ran for his daddy.

OK whatever. But how about a year later. When you know that nothing is being done and there's more clarity and you've got that vision of a 10 year old being anally raped over and over in your mind thousands of times. Isn't that the time to get the hell out of dodge and go to OUTSIDE authorities? Surely it would be foolish to trust anyone with ties to the university, including the campus police.

But he chose to stay for 9 more years. Despicable.
His dad is a shitbag too
 

In Vino Vinatieri

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This WSJ article rehashes a lot of what has already been said, but I don't think I've seen the last couple paragraphs anywhere:

On the university's campus, there were passionate arguments about the scandal.

"We're seeing students shouting at each other in classrooms over whether Paterno was right to resign," said Shannon Terrell, an 18-year-old from Canton, Michigan. "He probably should, but then, he's the only one admitting fault."

Members of the faculty said they were divided about the fate of Mr. Spanier.

"There's some sentiment among the faculty that this is an old-boys network, and there are people who support the president and people who don't," said Mindy Kornhaber, who said she let students debate the issue in an ethics class on Wednesday.
 

HomeRunBaker

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I have no idea what I'd do if I witnessed what McQueary witnessed.

But I know exactly what I'd do if the higher ups did nothing about it. I would be terrified of them, and the cops. I'd take the first job offer I got and then report it to the state authorities. I don't care if it's assistant curling coach at West Texas State School for Culinary Arts, I'm getting the hell out of State College.
I don't want to defend McQueary but rather try to look at it from a kid in his young 20's born and raised a Penn State fan, having fulfilled his dram of playing at his school and was now an entry level grad assistant for Joe Paterno. Could he have felt more a part of Paterno's coaching fraternity having have this knowledge of the goings on at the school? Could he have felt a greater sense of esteem that he and Coach Paterno had a shared secret? Is this any different from a young kid growing up around the mob and being accepted by the older guys he has always looked up to? Young, naive, and in awe of Joe Paterno and Penn State.
 

natpastime162

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I have no idea what I'd do if I witnessed what McQueary witnessed.

But I know exactly what I'd do if the higher ups did nothing about it. I would be terrified of them, and the cops. I'd take the first job offer I got and then report it to the state authorities. I don't care if it's assistant curling coach at West Texas State School for Culinary Arts, I'm getting the hell out of State College.
I keep coming back to Mike McQueary being a former PSU Quarterback in his early 20's. Meaning he isn't some tiny kid.


Like others have said, "He wasn't some towel boy GA."
 

ThePrideofShiner

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I keep coming back to Mike McQueary being a former PSU Quarterback in his early 20's. Meaning he isn't some tiny kid.


Like others have said, "He wasn't some towel boy GA."
Not even early 20s. He was 28 at the time.


Elsewhere, Sandusky is apparently saddened that Paterno is having to resign:

Jerry Sandusky is "distraught and saddened" at head football coach Joe Paterno's announcement to retire at the end of the season, and the possibility that he might be forced out earlier, following the child sex abuse charges filed against Sandusky and the scandal that has since exploded on campus.

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

canderson

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Not to sound insensitive, but this is a hell of a resume builder for those kids working at the paper. What I've read from them has been top-notch.
I was editor of my college paper when space shuttle Columbia literally crashed on our campus (Stephem F Austin); I've made a career based on that experience. These kids will too.
 

axx

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Sounds like the Prez is going to be forced out soon, if it hasn't already happened.
 

JBill

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So the Board is having a press Conference at 10:00?

They better at least suspend Paterno effective immediately.
I think they'll announce Paterno and Spanier are both done. Don't see how they can possibly announce one without the other.

If that's what happens, hope the kids on campus keep their cool, this would be the best thing for the university going forward, forget the Paterno worship.
 

J.McG

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I think they'll announce Paterno and Spanier are both done. Don't see how they can possibly announce one without the other.

If that's what happens, hope the kids on campus keep their cool, this would be the best thing for the university going forward, forget the Paterno worship.
Based on how this has been handled thus far, anything is possible. Hell, they might announce JoePa will become Chairman of the Board of Trustees upon his retirement as coach. This story has numbed me to the point to the point where a public execution of Spanier wouldn't shock me.