Joe Paterno, legendary Penn State Football coach, was fired tonight, after 46 seasons at the helm of the program. His back to basics philosophy and rolled up khakis have become the stuff of legend in Happy Valley. JoePa was dismissed by the Board of Trustees of The Pennsylvania State University amidst much controversy surrounding the school as a result of former Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky’s arrest for sexually abusing 8 adolescent boys since 1998. A ninth victim has since come forward. Read the grand jury report here.
In short: Sandusky was seen abusing a boy in the showers of the football team’s locker room by then team graduate assistant Mike McQueary. McQueary then decided the logical thing to do was to allow the abuse to continue and call his father, who told him to report what he had seen to Joe. Joe met with McQueary, and reported the incident to Athletic Director Tim Curley. A week and a half later, McQueary was called into a meeting with AD Curley and Vice President for Business and Finance Gary Schultz to explain what he had seen.
Then…nothing.
Well, not nothing. The crack duo of Curley and Schultz decided that the best plan of action was–get ready–not allow Sandusky to bring any more children onto campus. Womp womp. University President Graham Spanier signed off on this punishment.
“Oh, yea, this looks good.” *scratching of pen on paper*
The ban was not enforced. Sandusky was on campus as recently as last week working out at the football team’s facilities, according to some sources.
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So what we have is a failure on every level, by everyone involved. Sandusky, McQueary, Paterno, Curley, Schultz, Spanier, all failed. Some more than others.
What bothers me most is not JoePa’s dismissal, it’s the fact that the administration is grossly mishandling the case, in my opinion. Make no mistake about it, people had to go (Paterno included). But the manner in which it was handled is upsetting, to say the least. The media and the Board of Trustees made Paterno the scapegoat for systemic failure and negligence. To fire Paterno (over the phone albeit) while placing the master minds of the cover up, Schultz and Curley on administrative leave is disgusting. To fire Paterno while doing nothing to McQueary is unconscionable.
If anyone McQueary is the one who most failed the child (Sandusky aside) by failing to intervene, by–literally–turning his back on the boy. Next in line: Curley and Schultz who swept it all under the rug. Next, Spanier, who gave the toothless punishment his signature. Last in line–last I tell you–JoePa.
The house needs to be cleaned. Everyone needs to go. But JoePa first? In this way? Couldn’t you even let the man finish the season and retire, as he said he would? The man who has donated over $4 million to this school? The man who has a library named in his honor? The only one who actually did something?
I am disillusioned with the Board of Trustees and Penn State, to say the least.
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The only thing JoePa is guilty of is trusting people to do their job.