Joe Paterno Fired

[John S]

Joe Paterno, long time head football coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, has been fired.
If you have seen any news lately, you know that his former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, has been accused of sexually molesting young boys.
Several others at the university, including the President, have also been fired.
If you aren't from Pennsylvania, you may not know how big of a deal this is. Joe Pa, as he is affectionately known, reached almost god-like status in the state. He has not been accused of doing anything illegally himself, he has just been accused of not doing enough.

 

[Tractor1]

Well deserved.

In Christ,
Tracey

 

[Zaac]

Joe Paterno, long time head football coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, has been fired.
If you have seen any news lately, you know that his former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, has been accused of sexually molesting young boys.
Several others at the university, including the President, have also been fired.
If you aren't from Pennsylvania, you may not know how big of a deal this is. Joe Pa, as he is affectionately known, reached almost god-like status in the state. He has not been accused of doing anything illegally himself, he has just been accused of not doing enough.

I am so sickened by this whole sordid mess. There should be no one on the sidelines remotely associated with Joe Paterno or the current Athletic Association. Placing a coach who has been with Paterno for 30 years into the interim position is a big NO NO. After 30 years, he knew what was going on too.

They need to just cancel the rest of their season.

I cannot believe, after reading the Grand Jury report, the number of opportunities GROWN PEOPLE had to stop this man in the act, yet they did NOTHING!!!

 

[Zaac]

• 1969 Jerry Sandusky starts his coaching career at Penn State University as a defensive line coach.
• 1977 Jerry Sandusky founds The Second Mile. It begins as a group foster home dedicated to helping troubled boys and grows to become a charity dedicated to helping children with absent or dysfunctional families.
• January 1983 Associated Press voters select Penn State as college football's national champion for the 1982 season.
• January 1987 Associated Press voters select Penn State as college football's national champion for the 1986 season.
• 1994 Boy known as Victim 7 in the report meets Sandusky through The Second Mile program at about the age of 10.
• 1994-95 Boy known as Victim 6 meets Sandusky at a Second Mile picnic at Spring Creek Park when he is 7 or 8 years old.
• 1995-96 Boy known as Victim 5, meets Sandusky through The Second Mile when he is 7 or 8, in second or third grade.
• 1996-97 Boy known as Victim 4, at the age of 12 or 13, meets Sandusky while he is in his second year participating in The Second Mile program.
• 1996-98 Victim 5 is taken to the locker rooms and showers at Penn State by Sandusky when he is 8 to 10 years old.
• Jan. 1, 1998 Victim 4 is listed, along with Sandusky's wife, as a member of Sandusky's family party for the 1998 Outback Bowl.
• 1998 Victim 6 is taken into the locker rooms and showers when he is 11 years old. When Victim 6 is dropped off at home, his hair is wet from showering with Sandusky. His mother reports the incident to the university police, who investigate.
• Detective Ronald Schreffler testifies that he and State College Police Department Detective Ralph Ralston, with the consent of the mother of Victim 6, eavesdrop on two conversations the mother of Victim 6 has with Sandusky. Sandusky says he has showered with other boys and Victim 6's mother tries to make Sandusky promise never to shower with a boy again but he will not. At the end of the second conversation, after Sandusky is told he cannot see Victim 6 anymore, Schreffler testifies Sandusky says, "I understand. I was wrong. I wish I could get forgiveness. I know I won't get it from you. I wish I were dead."
• Jerry Lauro, an investigator with the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, testifies he and Schreffler interviewed Sandusky, and that Sandusky admits showering naked with Victim 6, admits to hugging Victim 6 while in the shower and admits that it was wrong.
• The case is closed after then-Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar decides there will be no criminal charge.
• June 1999 Sandusky retires from Penn State but still holds emeritus status.
• Dec. 28, 1999 Victim 4 is listed, along with Sandusky's wife, as a member of Sandusky's family party for the 1999 Alamo Bowl.
• Summer 2000 Boy known as Victim 3 meets Sandusky through The Second Mile when he is between seventh and eighth grade.
• Fall 2000 A janitor named James Calhoun observes Sandusky in the showers of the Lasch Football Building with a young boy, known as Victim 8, pinned up against the wall, performing oral sex on the boy. He tells other janitorial staff immediately. Fellow Office of Physical Plant employee Ronald Petrosky cleans the showers at Lasch and sees Sandusky and the boy, who he describes as being between the ages of 11 and 13.
• Calhoun tells other physical plant employees what he saw, including Jay Witherite, his immediate supervisor. Witherite tells him to whom he should report the incident. Calhoun was a temporary employee and never makes a report. Victim 8's identity is unknown.
• March 1, 2002 A Penn State graduate assistant enters the locker room at the Lasch Football Building. In the showers, he sees a naked boy, known as Victim 2, whose age he estimates to be 10 years old, being subjected to anal intercourse by a naked Sandusky. The graduate assistant tells his father immediately.
• March 2, 2002 In the morning, the graduate assistant calls coach Joe Paterno and goes to Paterno's home, where he reports what he has seen.
• March 3, 2002 Paterno calls Tim Curley, Penn State athletic director to his home the next day and reports a version of what the grad assistant had said.
• March 2002 Later in the month the graduate assistant is called to a meeting with Curley and senior vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz. The grad assistant reports what he has seen and Curley and Schultz say they will look into it.
• March 27, 2002 (approximate) The graduate assistant hears from Curley. He is told that Sandusky's locker room keys are taken away and that the incident has been reported to The Second Mile. The graduate assistant is never questioned by university police and no other entity conducts an investigation until the graduate assistant testifies in grand jury in December 2010.
• 2005-2006 Boy known as Victim 1 says that he meets Sandusky through The Second Mile at age 11 or 12.
• Spring 2007 During the 2007 track season, Sandusky begins spending time with Victim 1 weekly, having him stay overnight at his residence in College Township, Pa.
• Spring 2008 Termination of contact with Victim 1 occurs when he is a freshman in a Clinton County high school. After the boy's mother calls the school to report sexual assault, Sandusky is barred from the school district attended by Victim 1 from that day forward and the matter is reported to authorities as mandated by law.
• Early 2009 An investigation by the Pennsylvania attorney general begins when a Clinton County, Pa., teen boy tells authorities that Sandusky has inappropriately touched him several times over a four-year period.
• September 2010 Sandusky retires from day-to-day involvement with The Second Mile, saying he wants to spend more time with family and handle personal matters.
• March 2011 Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News reports that grand jury is investigating Sandusky on allegations of indecent assault against a teenage boy. The Patriot-News reports that five people with knowledge of the case said the grand jury has been meeting for 18 months and has called witnesses, including Paterno and Curley. Penn State declines comment.
• Nov. 5, 2011 Sandusky is arrested and released on $100,000 bail after being arraigned on 40 criminal counts
• Nov. 7, 2011 Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly says Paterno is not a target of the investigation into how the school handled the accusations. But she refuses to say the same for university president Graham Spanier. Curley and Schultz, who have stepped down from their positions, surrender on charges that they failed to alert police to complaints against Sandusky.
• Nov. 8, 2011 Possible ninth victim of Sandusky contacts state police as calls for ouster of Paterno and Spanier grow in state and beyond. Penn State abruptly cancels Paterno's regular weekly news conference.
• Nov. 9, 2011 Paterno announces in the morning he'll retire at the end of the season, but the university's board of trustees rules later that Paterno and Spanier are out effective immediately. Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley is named interim coach and provost Rodney Erickson is named interim university president

.

Looking at this timeline, I don't know if it sickens me more that the guy did this or that GROWN PEOPLE had numerous opportunities to intercede and did NOTHING!!!

He's asked to promise to not shower with young boys again and he refuses yet no charges are made?

Has the entire world gone crazy? Is football this big a deal?

Jesus, I need to pray.

 

[Archivist]

They need to just cancel the rest of their season.

I agree that others, both in the athletic department and the administration, probably knew what was going on. I think that additional names will probably come out, and others are going to lose their positions. Those convicted of crimes should be punished.

However, to cancel the season now would only hurt the current players and other students (band members, cheerleaders, Thon participants, etc) none of whom had anything to do with the events that led up to this whole mess.

 

[John S]

Zaac - YES - Big time college football IS that big a deal.

Archivist - I agree with you that the players aren't guilty of any wrong doing BUT if there are riots, or whatever, at tomorrow's game, then thought should be given to cancelling the rest of the season.
I wonder if the NCAA is going to shut down the football program for awhile.

 

[Faith.Man]

I agree that others, both in the athletic department and the administration, probably knew what was going on. I think that additional names will probably come out, and others are going to lose their positions. Those convicted of crimes should be punished.

However, to cancel the season now would only hurt the current players and other students (band members, cheerleaders, Thon participants, etc) none of whom had anything to do with the events that led up to this whole mess.

I believe Zaac's position is reasonable considering the extent of the cover-up. And that's what it was, a cover-up of ongoing felony behavior. I wish others were not affected, but the situation is what it is. There's not that much left of the season anyhow.

 

[John S]

Penn State is hosting Nebraska this afternoon. I HOPE that there are no riots or any other unlawful behavior.

 

[earagun]

Joe Paterno, long time head football coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, has been fired.
If you have seen any news lately, you know that his former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, has been accused of sexually molesting young boys.
Several others at the university, including the President, have also been fired.
If you aren't from Pennsylvania, you may not know how big of a deal this is. Joe Pa, as he is affectionately known, reached almost god-like status in the state. He has not been accused of doing anything illegally himself, he has just been accused of not doing enough.

I would say that if its not illegal to hide and cover up sexual criminal acts against children, then some new laws need to be established. Poor Joe Paterno! I feel so sorry for his complete loss of his ever loving mind, that he would not demand the firing and investigation of a sexual crime committed by his staff, whom he is entirely responsible for...........thats what happens when your in charge, you are responsible for the actions of those in your authority, He wasn't responsible with his actions and his decisions were practically criminal if you ask the child victims who suffered because of his negligence. They will tell you how criminal his actions were!......I would say its as criminal as a car dealer selling a car he knows the brakes are going to fail and sells the car to a family that lives ontop of a mountian.

 

[katherine2001]

I feel bad for Joe Paterno (and he is a man that I've had a lot of respect for), but the fact is that he was told what happened to one child and didn't report it to the police. Goodness knows how many more boys were molested when it could have stopped if he had reported it to the police.

 

[katherine2001]

I would say that if its not illegal to hide and cover up sexual criminal acts against children, then some new laws need to be established. Poor Joe Paterno! I feel so sorry for his complete loss of his ever loving mind, that he would not demand the firing and investigation of a sexual crime committed by his staff, whom he is entirely responsible for...........thats what happens when your in charge, you are responsible for the actions of those in your authority, He wasn't responsible with his actions and his decisions were practically criminal if you ask the child victims who suffered because of his negligence. They will tell you how criminal his actions were!......I would say its as criminal as a car dealer selling a car he knows the brakes are going to fail and sells the car to a family that lives ontop of a mountian.

One one talk show that I was listening too, there was a woman who dealt with these types of cases, and she said that, in her opinion, Paterno would have have legally been required to report it to the authorities, and he didn't.

 

[boomersoonerliz]

I believe they made a good choice by firing him. He should have came forward with what he knew.

 

[John S]

Mr. Paterno has since hired a criminal defense attorney - just in case.

 

[SharonL]

This makes me sick to my stomach - all of the people that knew and no one protected those boys - we will never know how many lives they have ruined.

I have 2 step-children who were molested over a long period of time - there were 13 children involved - we were the only one to press charges. The neighbors begged us to drop charges, the priest in the neighborhood ask us to drop charges because he was always in church - the chief of police ask us to drop charges - he was allowed to come home after 3 months in re-had and killed his self in front of the kids.

We had counseling and more counseling - but those lives were destroyed beyond total repair.

All these people sacrificed only God knows how many boys for the sake of their precious football.

 

[John S]

We have no idea yet how large this scandal is going to get.

BTW - Nebraska 17 - Penn State 14.
The game went on as planned, without incident, at least, as far as I know.

 

[Zaac]

I agree that others, both in the athletic department and the administration, probably knew what was going on. I think that additional names will probably come out, and others are going to lose their positions. Those convicted of crimes should be punished.

However, to cancel the season now would only hurt the current players and other students (band members, cheerleaders, Thon participants, etc) none of whom had anything to do with the events that led up to this whole mess.

Bump the current players, band members, cheerleader, etc. It's an institute of higher learning. This is a SPORT. It is not essential. Every one of those kids parents needs to sue for multi-millions and force them to suspend a season or two.

Penn State athletics needs to be scarred as much as those boys were. And if that means suspending this season and next, do it.

Further accenting just how skewed people's priorities are is the fact that the student body is rioting over a coach getting fired but I haven't seen anything about any of them rioting that those kids were molested.

 

[Zaac]

Zaac - YES - Big time college football IS that big a deal.

Archivist - I agree with you that the players aren't guilty of any wrong doing BUT if there are riots, or whatever, at tomorrow's game, then thought should be given to cancelling the rest of the season.
I wonder if the NCAA is going to shut down the football program for awhile.

Then perhaps it is time for big time college football to get a big time dose of reality.

There are enough families out there right now who have had their kids molested at this school that they can bankrupt the Penn State athletic department.

Penn State would do well to appear extremely contrite aand do something out of character for big time college football, and that's to appear more concerned about something else.

They should REALLY consider canceling the rest of this season and the next. When the law suits are done, they should be out of hundreds of millions of dollars.

 

[Zaac]

I would say that if its not illegal to hide and cover up sexual criminal acts against children, then some new laws need to be established. Poor Joe Paterno! I feel so sorry for his complete loss of his ever loving mind, that he would not demand the firing and investigation of a sexual crime committed by his staff, whom he is entirely responsible for...........thats what happens when your in charge, you are responsible for the actions of those in your authority, He wasn't responsible with his actions and his decisions were practically criminal if you ask the child victims who suffered because of his negligence. They will tell you how criminal his actions were!......I would say its as criminal as a car dealer selling a car he knows the brakes are going to fail and sells the car to a family that lives ontop of a mountian.

Joe Pa is so complicit in this, it is ridiculous. I would venture anyone who has been with his staff for an extended period of time knew about Sandusky and what he was doing.

I had always wondered why Joe Pa didn't retire back in his early 70s especially when he had an "heir apparent" in waiting.

He KNEW and that's why he kept coaching. He wasn't gonna allow just anybody to take over the program. And after he realized Sandusky wasn't gonna be the one, he had to keep coaching.

Yeah Joe Pa KNEW and everybody in the Penn State organization covered this scandal up.

CLEAN the proverbial house.

 

[Zaac]

I feel bad for Joe Paterno (and he is a man that I've had a lot of respect for), but the fact is that he was told what happened to one child and didn't report it to the police. Goodness knows how many more boys were molested when it could have stopped if he had reported it to the police.

I have always had great admiration for Joe Pa and the values he "seemed" to have put in place at Penn State. But this tells a whole new story about the man. He KNEW and did nothing to keep this man off campus and away from the program.

So in that regard I don't feel bad for Joe at all. He's very privileged to ONLY have been fired. He's as complicit in this as some of the cardinals were in the Catholic Church priest scandals.

 

[Archivist]

Archivist - I agree with you that the players aren't guilty of any wrong doing BUT if there are riots, or whatever, at tomorrow's game, then thought should be given to cancelling the rest of the season.

There were no riots during or after the game.

The only riot that occurred happened earlier in the week following the announcement that Paterno had been fired. About 2000 students took to the streets. A few hundred participated in acst of violence that included turing over a news van and breaking street lights. The number of students who committed acts of violence during the riot was dawrfed by the crowd that participated in a candlelight vigil in honor of those children who were victims of sexual abuse.