My daughter, a paralegal and soon to be social worker, read the entire report on the Penn State University/Jerry Sandusky by Louis Freeh. Freeh, who is a former head of the FBI, presumably knows how to run an investigation and right a report.
My daughter told me that she had to stop several times because the details in the report made her nauseous. Being a coward for one, and seeing enough human misery for another reason, I haven’t read the report, nor will I. Suffice it to say that my daughter and I discussed the report and I felt compelled to warn her that as a social worker, she’s going to see things like this and worse. She’ll be a great social worker, if it doesn’t burn her out. Enough of that.
The Freeh report found Paterno, Spanier, Schultz and Curley had heard reports of Sandusky’s actions toward young boys in campus locker rooms — including a 1998 criminal investigation that involved a young boy in the showers — and did nothing.
“None of them even spoke to Sandusky about his conduct. In short, nothing was done and Sandusky was allowed to continue with impunity,” according to Freeh’s statement.
To protect the schools football program Paterno and others kept silent about allegations regarding Sandusky’s actions. They not only kept silent, they intimidated others into remaining silent.
All to protect the football program. This went on for how many years? 20? 30? More?
And in the end, it’s all for naught. Now that the truth has been told, Penn State and several individuals are going to pay millions in damages to the victims. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Penn State ended up disbanding it’s football program to pay for the damages. Which would be fitting, at least I think so.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing.
These weren’t even good men, they were stupid men who lost sight of what was important in the world and it isn’t football. Their myopia lead to suffering and misery for many young men, with consequences that will last a life time.
Paterno is dead and beyond the reach of the law. I don’t think his statue at Penn State should be removed as some have suggested. Instead, the plaque should be changed to read,
“Joe Paterno, enabler of child sexual abuse”
because that my friends, is what people are going to remember about him. Not the football program he built and lead, not the alumni donations he drew, none of that. What they will remember is that he engaged in an active conspiracy to protect a child molester.
Sickening.
“Sickening.”
Yes, indeed.