Penn State Goings-On

[Malthus]

That could explain it, but not justify if.

Well, obviously, that's my point. 

[Valmy]

I think Valmy was talking about him leaving voluntarily, not getting shitcanned.  He's probably the most unpopular person on campus right now.

Yep.  It will be ugly if he is there on the sideline on Saturday.

[Valmy]

To me, he's the #2 villain in this story, after Sandusky himself.  I don't see how you can justify firing Paterno, who as far as we know only had a second-hand report of the abuse and not fire the guy who actually witnessed it.

I can come up with a few scenarios as to why it would be justified for Paterno to simply pass what McQueary told him on to his superiors, but I can't come up with any justification for McQueary himself not going to the police.

Well Paterno is supposed to be in charge so he should be held to a higher standard.  But basically yes.  He should have been let go.  But I am amazed he has not stepped down and snuck out of town on his own accord.

[Scipio]

Even under the most generous review of PA's statutes, I think both McQueary and JoePa are considered mandatory reporters of child abuse.  I think that ultimately that's the issue that will prove decisive: their failure to report to the state child protective services independently of PSU's internal procedures.  All the rest is the typical high-profile college football smokescreen.

Caveat: I fucking hate PSU.  Always have, always will.  So consider that my disclosure of a conflict of interest.

[alfred russel]

If there was an investigation and it found little wrongdoing then the investigation was done incompetantly since all they had to do was talk to the GA to find out the full details.  That is reason enough to lose trust in the President who should have taken this matter more seriously if your assumption is correct.  Also, if there was an investigation and the GA was interviewed but not believed then why was he kept on staff and given a plum job?  That makes no sense.

The president is running a university with 10s of thousands of people. If someone comes to him and says, "we got a report from a GA that a former assistant coach was seen in the shower with one of the 10 year old members of his charity after they were running laps. We looked into and didn't think there was anything wrong, but told him not to bring kids on campus just in case.", what do you expect him to do? Follow the career path of the GA and start asking questions if he ever gets a full time job?

I'm not saying that is what happened, but it is possible that if there was a cover up it was also covered up from the president.

[frunk]

It strikes me that what happened in 2002 is a direct result of how 1998/99 was handled.  Sandusky was quietly fired to stop any scandal, but enough ickiness all around that everybody was scared stiff of it being revealed in the future.  I'd wager pretty good odds that Sandusky said that he didn't do it or that the situation was all a misunderstanding, and that carried enough weight to keep anything further from happening.  When he gets blatantly caught in 2002 now the administration is screwed and can't weasel out of it what with their behavior in 98/99, other than hoping it all quietly goes away.  McQueary is bought off with a good job, until more evidence piles up....

[crazy canuck]

If there was an investigation and it found little wrongdoing then the investigation was done incompetantly since all they had to do was talk to the GA to find out the full details.  That is reason enough to lose trust in the President who should have taken this matter more seriously if your assumption is correct.  Also, if there was an investigation and the GA was interviewed but not believed then why was he kept on staff and given a plum job?  That makes no sense.

The president is running a university with 10s of thousands of people. If someone comes to him and says, "we got a report from a GA that a former assistant coach was seen in the shower with one of the 10 year old members of his charity after they were running laps. We looked into and didn't think there was anything wrong, but told him not to bring kids on campus just in case.", what do you expect him to do? Follow the career path of the GA and start asking questions if he ever gets a full time job?

I'm not saying that is what happened, but it is possible that if there was a cover up it was also covered up from the president.

Wow, that is a fact pattern that gives the Board actual knowledge something very wrong had occurred.  This scenario would mean that both the Board and the President were incompetant or wilfully blind.  Who in their right mind would come to the conclusion that a Man showering with a 10 year old boy was ok and should not be reported.

At the very least in your hypothetical you would have to give some rational explanation for reaching such a conclusion. 

[crazy canuck]

It strikes me that what happened in 2002 is a direct result of how 1998/99 was handled.  Sandusky was quietly fired to stop any scandal, but enough ickiness all around that everybody was scared stiff of it being revealed in the future.  I'd wager pretty good odds that Sandusky said that he didn't do it or that the situation was all a misunderstanding, and that carried enough weight to keep anything further from happening.  When he gets blatantly caught in 2002 now the administration is screwed and can't weasel out of it what with their behavior in 98/99, other than hoping it all quietly goes away.  McQueary is bought off with a good job, until more evidence piles up....

Yeah, that is a good observation.

[alfred russel]

Wow, that is a fact pattern that gives the Board actual knowledge something very wrong had occurred.  This scenario would mean that both the Board and the President were incompetant or wilfully blind.  Who in their right mind would come to the conclusion that a Man showering with a 10 year old boy was ok and should not be reported.

At the very least in your hypothetical you would have to give some rational explanation for reaching such a conclusion.

??? We are talking about locker room showers in athletic facilities. I don't know the layout in Penn State, but I've certainly taken showers in athletic settings where the showers were common and multiple people have showered at the same time. I assume he was bringing the children onto campus at least under the pretense of some athletic activity, and certainly afterwards it is normal to shower.

[stjaba]

Even under the most generous review of PA's statutes, I think both McQueary and JoePa are considered mandatory reporters of child abuse.

Apparently, in 2002, Pennsylvania's child abuse reporting statute was much less strict than the current version. So, your analysis may not be accurate.

[Rasputin]

i suspect the gc is afraid of the retaliatory discharge suit

I think Valmy was talking about him leaving voluntarily, not getting shitcanned.  He's probably the most unpopular person on campus right now.

ahhh... probably so

[merithyn]

I can't imagine any of these people walking away feeling very good about themselves, but most especially McQueary. Besides Sandusky and the victim, McQueary is the only other person in this entire story who really knew what happened in that shower and he took a job over protecting that kid.

One would hope that we hear of his suicide soon.

[stjaba]

I can't imagine any of these people walking away feeling very good about themselves, but most especially McQueary. Besides Sandusky and the victim, McQueary is the only other person in this entire story who really knew what happened in that shower and he took a job over protecting that kid.

One would hope that we hear of his suicide soon.

There was one other witness who observed Sandusky molesting a child(I think performing oral sex on the child) . The witness was a janitor, who reported it to his supervisor. The janitor apparently has dementia and is unfit to testify.n This is all detailed in the grand jury report.

[alfred russel]

There was one other witness who observed Sandusky molesting a child(I think performing oral sex on the child) . The witness was a janitor, who reported it to his supervisor. The janitor apparently has dementia and is unfit to testify.n This is all detailed in the grand jury report.

So basically this guy was just bringing kids over to his former place of work to rape them in public places, with various people spotting him from time to time. There was also the story of him buying drugs for a kid letting him use them while driving around town. This guy must have wanted to get caught, but no one was willing to catch him.

[merithyn]

There was one other witness who observed Sandusky molesting a child(I think performing oral sex on the child) . The witness was a janitor, who reported it to his supervisor. The janitor apparently has dementia and is unfit to testify.n This is all detailed in the grand jury report.

I won't be reading that, thank you. I'll take on faith that you all are telling the pertinant and truthful points. In which case, I reiterate: I hope that we hear of McQueary's suicide soon.