If I need a sarcasm tag, the reader needs mental help.

They were probably too comfortable with their positions. Seems to be the overriding cause of evil, or at least one of the biggest.

Last edited Sat May 7, 2016, 08:50 PM - Edit history (1)

He enabled Sandusky to rape at-risk youth for decades because he didn't want his precious football program damaged — at least that the kindest explanation that come out.

I could be wrong about this but I think the more likely reason is the "at-risk youth" could mean black boys and he didn't care. I followed the story in 2011 and it came out that some of the boys were black. He let a rapist keep raping.

All he had to do back in the 70s when he first found out was to call the cops.

He wouldn't have been the one damaged, or at lease force him to resign "to spend more time with his family" as these things are often handled.

He did neither until he was forced to 4 decades later in 2011.

No excuse. They need to take his wins away again and give that program the death penalty like the NCAA did to SMU for a whole lot less.

...stand any longer. I agree completely.

Didn't want his program damaged. Comfort. I'd say they're pretty close, but others may disagree (and I'm totally fine with that! )

and its population is mostly white. It is northern Appalachia. At risk children in this part of Pennsylvania are mostly white and poor. I don't think race had much to do with Paterno's despicable lack of a response.

I just don't think "at risk" is code for black and I don't think Paterno's cover up was race related. He was phobic of anything that could reflect poorly on his football program.

Paterno could have just run the guy off, and told him to never come back. That was probably the way these matters were usually handled back then. A tough guy like him shouldn't have even needed help with that task.

This guy was just an assistant...people who come and go to different programs all the time. What made Sandusky so irreplaceable to that football program? Why was he protected? For decades, even?

Early on in the 70s Sandusky was as you say, just a young assistant who could have been easily dismissed. But later on he rose in the coaching hierarchy and became heir apparent to succeed Paterno (wonder what's up with that), then something happened in the 90s and he left the coaching ranks (seems he was forced out, but not really) and started his own foundation, Second Mile, to help at-risk boys, which gave him even more access to boys as he still had the run of the athletic facilities at the university.

When this story broke in 2011 there were hints of big university boosters maybe being supplied with boys by Sandusky but that story lasted about a minute before it was quashed and nothing was ever mentioned again about it to this day.

Whatever happened, Paterno never reported Sandusky even though there were several incidents of him sexually molesting boys that were stumbled upon by other coaches. Who knows what Sandusky had on Paterno but he didn't go to authorities until the high profile 2011 incident.

They went to him after an assistant coach / grad student seemed like he was too stupid and upset to keep quiet.

But didn't that force Paterno to finally go to the athletic director, granted, not the police but to a higher up?

Young coach was very upset. Paterno had to shut him up by promising to "do something". Which really meant perpetuating the coverup.

It means boys from broken homes, generally, or those with developmental issues.

There's no way that those in power were unaware of it.

Do you actually mean it's been well known for decades?

The specific details weren't clear, of course, but Sandusky's been seen as a particular species of creep for ages, and Paterno had a long history of shielding his team from unwelcome attention.

or women stand in the way of the game, yanno. Got to have the right priorities.


just in case.

for many persons. Little else matters

She ran afoul of the Old Boys' Network. Those perjury and obstruction of justice charges are sheer retaliation. If those repuke prosecutors were honest, they'd charge her with obstruction of a goddamn coverup!

She had no business blowing the whistle on any Penn State football coaches, even if they molested kids. Football is far more important then the lives of children.

I'll admit I haven't dug deep into the facts but what you said sure rings likely to me.

A rape victim was demonized for "ruining the life" of their high school football hero.

Fucking scum.

while they don't have a clue about the state of their children's schools or anything else that's going on in every sphere.

Don't you dare fugg with their escape hatch.

But it's just a game.

And none of those stats mean shit against the fact that children were being raped.

And on top of that, the adults who knew about it decided that protecting the rapist and the reputation of a football program is better than protecting the victims of rape.

That two guys knew...the one who did it and the one who hid it...and they kept it a secret, THAT I can wrap my brain around.

But that another guy knew.

And another guy.

And another guy.

And another guy.

And another guy.

And another guy.

All those motherfuckers knew and not one of them called the cops.

Because football.

and we can bet there are several similar rape clubs called charities

explanation I can come up with.

Paterno trained Sandusky and most of the guys who are now claimed to have known and participated in the cover-up. Even though no charges were made against him past the cover up, he is still the central figure in the whole sordid mess.

Perhaps Paterno's training went farther than anyone thought.

Some of those kids stayed in her home

And the reason why "the abuse went on for so long" and "why no one stopped it" was because Paterno wasn't interested in committing career suicide.


rocktivity

and he wasn't the only one

"Former Philadelphia Eagles Coach, Dick Vermeil, an honorary Second Mile Foundation board member is said to have commented “Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love, but Sandusky forgot that you have to be of age and a willing party or it’s child abuse and/or rape.” "

I'll never understand how this went on for so long

Criminal Charges by trial.

They should try him again for additional charges and keep his disgusting ass in prison for his entire life.

He disgusts me

... by a PSU insurer:

http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/05/court_filing_says_joe_paterno.html

Just watch

There was no such law and no protection for whistle blowers back then.

Laws matter. That's the only way to change things.

Poor kids. At least he's finally in jail.

To cover most of this crap:

Same with Hastert, the longest serving ReTHUG Speaker of then House

up as a spontaneous moment

was at Penn State in one capacity or another for 40 years. As early as the 70's it was known that he is a child rapist and nothing was done. For at least 30 years he had access to young boys. There are more victims out there.

this country is full of people with no balls to speak out.

stating that they were "Just horsing around"

How those boys must have felt... No one listened, no one helped them.

Being told they were 'lucky' to be singled out and get so much attention and stuff from the foundation etc.

and that wife of his...

They are all enablers and share guilt....including Paterno.

Those kind of secrets just don't stay under wraps when that many know.

contributed to this conversation and to this subject.

I believe it is painful for most all of us here at DU.
Especially more for survivors of abuse.

Thank you.

Ms 7wo7rees

Really hard to believe this went on for so long.

Heartbreaking.

I went HAM last time on Paterno and the whole lot.
Burn the damn football complex to the ground.
And yes, if that happened at Clemson, I would be heartbroken but they would hear it from me forever. I would want our fb complex razed and the ground salted. I would want a huge sign put up that says "YOU DON't MESS WITH KIDS! EVER!"