Further update 11/11/2011: The grad assistant who testified that he told Paterno of child rape has been placed in protective custody because of death threats.
Moody’s says it may downgrade Penn State’s bond rating (and not just because of an anticipated falloff in sweatshirt sales): it is anticipated that Penn State’s insurer may not pay any claims related to sex abuse, because the president knew of such incidents and did nothing. Further, Penn State may well lose it’s insulation from public financial scrutiny, through acts of the state legislature. And, six sponsors of telecasts of Penn State football have pulled out.
In related news, prized football recruit Joey O’Conner has decommitted from Penn State. Another recruit who is no longer interested in Penn State says Jerry Sandusky paid him a recruiting visit this year (!!!!):
“He came to my last spring game going into my senior season. He liked how I moved, laterally, and how gifted I am,” said Ah Ching.
Sandusky attended a football camp for Polynesian players in Utah over the summer and urged all in attendance to play for Paterno.
This is AFTER the Harrisburg Patriot Times broke the story in 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.
more details on that and later stories:
The Patriot-News broke the story that Jerry Sandusky was being investigated for child sex abuse back in March. We told the stories of two victims in detail.
We wrote additional stories in April and August, including one that reported the grand jury had heard testimony from multiple victims.
Any of the national news media who were shocked by Sandusky’s indictment last week evidently don’t read our newspaper or look at our website. They should have.
Update 11/11/2011:
Penn State University ignored the criminal investigation of Jerry Sandusky even after it was reported by a regional newspaper in March 2011; meanwhile Jerry Sandusky maintained his office on the Penn State University campus, and, (according to the newspaper that originally broke the story) lives next door to an elementary school!!!???!!!
http://mobile.pennlive.com/advpenn/pm_29239/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=jdCyGEc8
Update: upon hearing that the board of trustees is meeting and considering prompt and decisive action, Mr. Paterno is trying to get out in front of this by announcing that he sympathizes with the victims, wishes he had done more, blah blah, and he wants to retire at the end of the season. Too little, too late. He thinks he is the boss; news flash, Mr. P: not any more. If he’s lucky he’ll be put on administrative leave on Friday.
The Penn State University president should fire Joe Paterno….oh wait… the president should be fired first…oh wait…
A timeline…
[In the first place, dear reader, you must understand that Joe Paterno rules the football program at Penn State and is not in fact under the control of the athletic director or even the president. Rather, he tells THEM where to get off.]
Around 1967: Paterno hires Jerry Sandusky.
1977: Sandusky founds Second Mile, which provides him access to young boys who have little effective parental supervision.
1994-1997 Sandusky allegedly abuses 3 boys, ( AKA Victims 4, 5, and 6) ages 7 or 8, 10, and 12 or 13, some at the Penn State football team hotel on the night before a home football game.
1998: Sandusky, while naked, has contact with a naked 11 year old boy in the Penn State University football shower room. His mother complains to campus police. Another mother also makes a similar complaint. An investigation is made by the police and child protective services. He admits to having naked contact with at least one of the children. The authorities conclude that no sexual assault occurred. No chargesaree made. Sandusky promises someone (?) that he won’t do it again. Great. In November of 2011, Joe Paterno’s son will assert that Penn State University head football coach Joe Paterno knew nothing about this!! Really?
March 2002: a Penn State Football graduate assistant (who was a former Penn State University football player) heard “slapping” noises that he thought indicated sexual activity in the Penn State football shower room. Upon investigation saw the young boy facing the wall in the shower with his hands up on the wall, while Jerry Sandusky, a very large strong man, was perpetrating penile-anal “sex” on him.
The graduate assistant went to his own father for advice. He then reported the incident to Penn State University head football coach Joe Paterno at the latter’s home.
The next day Paterno met with Penn State University athletic director Curley and tells him, according to Curley, that the GA saw fondling or something of a sexual nature. The GA does not concur with Curley’s version.
10 days later(!) GA meets with Curley and Penn State University vice president Schultz. He says he told them he saw sex. They deny he said that. Curley states that he recalls having an “impression” of non-sexual fooling around. Schultz states he recalls possible grabbing of genitals while wrestling. Neither man denies that the account described contact in the shower between a naked middle-aged man and a naked 10 year-old child. Hello?
Penn State University President Spanier is informed of (some?) allegations. Spanier testified that he was told Sandusky had been seen “horsing around” with a boy, and presumably that both Sandusky and the child were both naked. Presumably, President Spanier realized that Sandusky was a middle-aged man and that the child was…well, a child.
Neither the police nor any child protection agencies are informed of the GA allegations. The identity and whereabouts of the child are unknown.
Curley tells Second Mile that an internal investigation of allegations against Sandusky found “no wrongdoing.”
Sandusky surrenders his key to the Penn State football locker room, is told not to bring children on to campus. He maintains his position as professor emeritus, with an office and phone, and all other university privileges. He maintains his relationship as a volunteer coach at a local school, where he will allegedly engage in multiple sexual encounters with a child in the Second Mile program.
2007 Sandusky brings “victim 1” of the indictment to Penn State football practice.
The mother of Victim 1 complains to high school about Sandusky, alleging multiple episodes of sexual misconduct; the police are notified.
November 2008, after 31 years of access to unprotected boys, Sandusky is forbidden any contact with children in Second Mile. Sandusky maintains his position, office and privileges at Penn State University.
Unknown date: Sandusky forms for profit corporation which stages athletic programs and camps for children on various campuses of Penn State University.
October 2011: Sandusky maintains his position, office and privileges at Penn State University.
November 2011: On November 5, 2011 Sandusky was arrested and charged with seven counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; eight counts of corruption of minors, eight counts of endangering the welfare of a child, seven counts of indecent assault and other offenses. Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and senior vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz (who oversaw the Penn State police department) were charged with perjury and failure to report suspected child abuse by Sandusky. On November 6 Penn State University “bans” Sandusky from campus. President Spanier makes no statements regarding the victims or their families, but proclaims his “unconditional support” for Curley and Schwartz.
Paterno’s role in the cover-up of the 2002 incident has not been disclosed. He says he “did what he was supposed to do.” His son says he had no knowledge of the 1998 allegations. According to the attorney general’s office, he is not a target of the investigation. The president may be a different story however. And the Penn State University is certainly at risk as well, for violation of the federal Clery Act, not to mention civil actions.
Over the line, Smokey! 