Penn State President Graham Spanier, one of the nation’s longest-serving college presidents, was ousted Wednesday along with head football coach Joe Paterno in the wake of a child sex abuse scandal in which authorities...
bye JoePa
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It is so sad that Paterno's career had to end this way. Paterno did the correct thing legally -- he reported it. But not ethically. The person who committed the acts remained employed. One can't continue to turn his/her back to child molestation.
Paterno did NOT do the right thing - either legally or ethically.
If he had, the person in question would be in jail getting a taste of his own medicine and Paterno's legacy would be about football and an honorable retirement - not child molestation and cover-ups.
If he had, the person in question would be in jail getting a taste of his own medicine and Paterno's legacy would be about football and an honorable retirement - not child molestation and cover-ups.
We don't know yet whether he did the right thing legally. There may be some inconsistencies between what Paterno was told and what he told his superior. Supposedly that may have led the Athletic Director to assign a lack of severity to it.
Until more details emerge on that front (they probably won't) it is wrong to blame Paterno for this incident.
Based on what we know now though, it is wrong that Joe Paterno was fired. There was a law written that said what he needed to do, and he followed that law. If the actions he took did not do enough to stop the actions from taking place, then maybe the legislators who wrote the law should be taken out of office. There is one state senator who is already taking steps to redo the law to prevent this stuff from happening again. Joe Paterno is not an administrator at Penn State University. His boss is. He reported the incident to his boss, who did not follow his legal obligation to report it to authorities. The administrator screwed up, not the employee.
Until more details emerge on that front (they probably won't) it is wrong to blame Paterno for this incident.
Based on what we know now though, it is wrong that Joe Paterno was fired. There was a law written that said what he needed to do, and he followed that law. If the actions he took did not do enough to stop the actions from taking place, then maybe the legislators who wrote the law should be taken out of office. There is one state senator who is already taking steps to redo the law to prevent this stuff from happening again. Joe Paterno is not an administrator at Penn State University. His boss is. He reported the incident to his boss, who did not follow his legal obligation to report it to authorities. The administrator screwed up, not the employee.
Good point.
Actually the perp. wasn't employed at PSU when he was caught in the shower with the 10y/o male by the Grad Asst. in 2002. He had "retired" in 1999.
Regarding Joe Pa , he did legally follow the PA statutes for reporting a possible child assault. Ethically, debatable....
Regarding Joe Pa , he did legally follow the PA statutes for reporting a possible child assault. Ethically, debatable....
What would Joepa do if it was his grandson?
It may become a technical issue depending on Pennsylvania law.
Paterno may avoid charges since he did report it to his superiors (they have both been charged), but he may have been legally required to report the incident to law enforcement and did not.
It's very cut and dried IMO.
It doesn't matter if the man raping a little kid was currently employed there or had retired. It doesn't matter if Paterno thought the guy was telling him that he saw him fondling a little kid instead of having sex with him. All of these things are still very very wrong and SHOULD have been immediately reported to the police by ANYONE who saw them or heard of them.
Paterno may avoid charges since he did report it to his superiors (they have both been charged), but he may have been legally required to report the incident to law enforcement and did not.
It's very cut and dried IMO.
It doesn't matter if the man raping a little kid was currently employed there or had retired. It doesn't matter if Paterno thought the guy was telling him that he saw him fondling a little kid instead of having sex with him. All of these things are still very very wrong and SHOULD have been immediately reported to the police by ANYONE who saw them or heard of them.
I know that when I took on a role of authority in my school and I had to sit through those legally required classes when you deal with children, what they kept telling us was, "If you see something, report it to your superior". Thankfully, I was never in that situation, but had I been, I probably would have followed what they drilled into our heads because that is what they told us to do. Maybe they should be telling us to call the cops immediately, but until they do, I don't think it should be my fault when I followed the law and reported it to my superior, just because my superior then failed to report it to authorities.
Having said that, I wouldn't stand by for a decade knowing that things are still going on just because I reported it to my supervisor. That is why there are a few things we need to know before making judgements on Paterno's actions.
What exactly was he told by Mcqueary?
What exactly did he tell the AD?
What did he know about AD not doing anything about the allegations for 10 years?
The grand jury testimony regarding those questions is inconsistent at best. I think that until we have answers to those questions, we don't know enough to judge whether he is at fault. The AD and President on the other hand withheld information and should be held responsible.
Having said that, I wouldn't stand by for a decade knowing that things are still going on just because I reported it to my supervisor. That is why there are a few things we need to know before making judgements on Paterno's actions.
What exactly was he told by Mcqueary?
What exactly did he tell the AD?
What did he know about AD not doing anything about the allegations for 10 years?
The grand jury testimony regarding those questions is inconsistent at best. I think that until we have answers to those questions, we don't know enough to judge whether he is at fault. The AD and President on the other hand withheld information and should be held responsible.
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Noone should have to tell you to call the cops when you see someone raping or molesting a child.
These incidents are so far beyond the pale it is ridiculous to suggest that merely telling a supervisor is in any way an appropriate response.
Castration. That is an appropriate response.
These incidents are so far beyond the pale it is ridiculous to suggest that merely telling a supervisor is in any way an appropriate response.
Castration. That is an appropriate response.