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Penn State's Joe Paterno has been *fired*


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Well, except we aren't explaining this to our kids and we watch a lot of ESPN and Fox Sports. I don't really want headline news to use "child r@pe". Once we know it's coming on, we change the channel.

 

Why? Why aren't you explaining it to your kids?

 

:confused: I mean, I might change the channel too if I knew it was coming, but I don't want the story soft peddled to protect my child's ears.

 

Children are EXACTLY who need to understand how horrific this is.

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Just to e clear I am not defending Paterno. I don't have any personal feelings about him or whether or not he has a job. I simply feel that in the current media environment it is easy rush to judgement without having all the facts. I don't think football is more important than children. I think those who knew something and didn't tell police should be held accountable. I also think that we don't have all the facts and that the "fire everyone" and ask questions later approach isn't necessarily the best or most prudent.

 

saying everyone shouldn't rush to judgement is not the same as thinking the situation was ok

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saying everyone shouldn't rush to judgement is not the same as thinking the situation was ok

 

I wouldn't say they rushed to judgement. How long have people known about this? The Board of Trustees has the whole Grand Jury report. They waited until they had some information before the firings. But they also keep saying, "It's in the best interest of the University..." not much about the victims.

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I'm hearing on dve.com that it's going to get even worse, if that's even possible...

 

RUMORS of Sandusky 'providing' boys to 'big-time athletic' financial boosters, in exchange for donations, are being floated...there's supposed to be more reported this afternoon...oh my word...this is horrific...

 

WHAT!

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I'm hearing on dve.com that it's going to get even worse, if that's even possible...

 

RUMORS of Sandusky 'providing' boys to 'big-time athletic' financial boosters, in exchange for donations, are being floated...there's supposed to be more reported this afternoon...oh my word...this is horrific...

 

I told dh this morning that this is probably only the tip of the iceberg -- it will only be outstripped in scope by the atrocities committed by priests (and, I am RC.)

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Why? Why aren't you explaining it to your kids?

 

:confused: I mean, I might change the channel too if I knew it was coming, but I don't want the story soft peddled to protect my child's ears.

 

Children are EXACTLY who need to understand how horrific this is.

 

Yup.

 

I have been shielding my kids to a certain extent, but "real" news is not supposed to be filtered in that (or any) way.

If society is going to accept this horror as a "sex scandal", we have MAJOR problems. And I'm seeing a lot of my friends using that term, or the slightly more accurate "abuse", and it turns my stomach. To put this on par with tittilating tabloid garbage is inhumane.

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Why? Why aren't you explaining it to your kids?

 

:confused: I mean, I might change the channel too if I knew it was coming, but I don't want the story soft peddled to protect my child's ears.

 

Children are EXACTLY who need to understand how horrific this is.

 

Because they are 8 and 6. And the 8 year old loves football. Loves watching college football with her dad. But doesn't even know exactly what $ex is yet. Or r@pe. And surely not child r@pe. $ex scandal won't show up on her radar. Child r@pe would.

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It's a good start. They should fire every single person who knew about the incident and did not go to the police. Every one. Those poor kids. If it had been reported and investigated when it happened how many kids would have been spared abuse at the hands of that sick man?

 

:iagree: but...

 

many people failed the children allegedly abused by Sandusky. Not not PSU people.

 

Joe Paterno was very powerful. He could have dealt w/ this. My heart breaks for what was supposedly witnessed. And, if what I've read/heard is correct, that both Sandusky and the boy saw McQueary. I just think that the boy must have thought, "Oh, good! He will stop this!" And he didn't. I will never understand that.

 

The 23 page grand jury presentment sickened me. I stopped reading it.

 

So, so sad.

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Because they are 8 and 6. And the 8 year old loves football. Loves watching college football with her dad. But doesn't even know exactly what $ex is yet. Or r@pe. And surely not child r@pe. $ex scandal won't show up on her radar. Child r@pe would.

 

Penn State may put a love of football over reality, but that doesn't mean we should follow their lead.

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It is the grad student that saw and didn't step in during the incident and then call police-immediately that should be penalized. Reports so far say Jo Pa wasn't told specifics at the time and he passed that info up the chain. I think people want to find someone big to hang and Jo Pa is it... We'll see what ends up shaking out of the case.

 

 

No way, no way, no way. Nice try!!

 

He wasn't told specifics?? Are you serious?? "hey Joe, dude, just saw something inapproriate going on in the locker room shower..."

 

That was enough. If he didn't ask questions, than he was DELIBERATELY setting up his future defense. Nice try. Not gonna fly.

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Because they are 8 and 6. And the 8 year old loves football. Loves watching college football with her dad. But doesn't even know exactly what $ex is yet. Or r@pe. And surely not child r@pe. $ex scandal won't show up on her radar. Child r@pe would.

 

 

I don't think that the Penn State situation has to be explained to children as young as that. I think there are other approaches -- bring out the 'good touch/bad touch/ childrens' books and have a quick review. Penn State never has to be mentioned - I mean, really. It's like changing the smoke alarm batteries when we change our clocks. THIS wouold be a good time to be certain that our kids know we are going to do everything to keep them safe, and how they can empower themselves.

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I really, really hope that what Barry Goldwater says is a rumor really is a rumor, not true.

 

I don't get it at all. My FIL is a few years older than Paterno. He definitely knew about perverts because I can remember him getting very incensed at the Catholic priest scandal which was occurring near the same time. Of course, Paterno knew it was wrong. Somehow he justified a lame response in his mind. I can't fathom it. I also can't fathom that big GA not coming to the child's defense. My 110 lb daughter with very minimal fighting training would have stopped it. Seems like all of us middle aged women would have stopped it. I don't think anyone needed to punch the guy even. How about yelling STOP? Throwing cold water? (it is a shower room so there is water), pulling the fire alarm? Many, many actions could have been taken but the ones that were were totally inadequate.

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Not true at all - Joe knew plenty. Enough that any moral human being wouldn't have stopped until a police investigation took place. Oops, there was one in 1998 - right before Sandusky 'mysteriously' retired. There is no way I don't believe they didn't interview his boss at the time of the 1998 investigation - especially since the incident took place in the Penn State shower.

 

If Joe didn't know it's because he didn't want to know.

 

 

This. And Joe said that while he didn't know specifics, he knew something of an inappropriate sexual nature had taken place. That should have been enough for any moral human being to take action.

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Because they are 8 and 6. And the 8 year old loves football. Loves watching college football with her dad. But doesn't even know exactly what $ex is yet. Or r@pe. And surely not child r@pe. $ex scandal won't show up on her radar. Child r@pe would.

 

Well, they are your kids of course, :tongue_smilie: but I would certainly want an 8 year old who loves football to know at least the highlights of this sick story.

 

But then again my ds knew what sex was by age 8.

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b/c I have to walk away from this now:

 

the talk radio stations this morning were using the word 'enablers' to describe JP, McQ, McQ's father and others.

 

 

At the very very very least, they certainly were enablers. In my mind, they are criminals, however, if they knew, or suspected, or had a creepy feeling that something was 'off.'

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And, if what I've read/heard is correct, that both Sandusky and the boy saw McQueary. I just think that the boy must have thought, "Oh, good! He will stop this!" And he didn't. I will never understand that.

I wonder if this McQ guy has a son of his own now. I can't help but think that it changes your perspective on what you would do if you walked in on something like that. How did these men go on all these years? How do they not have nightmares about what they knew?

 

I'm just so heart-sick over this whole thing. So outraged at the powerful "old boys" network that conspired to keep this not only under wraps but also continuing.

 

Special circle of hell is right.

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Why? Why aren't you explaining it to your kids?

 

 

I haven't told my kids anything about this. We have always discussed what to do if someone wants to touch them inappropriately, and we have always stressed that if something like that happens it is NOT THEIR FAULT and they are to tell us IMMEDIATELY, no matter what the perpetrator says.

 

But ...

 

I don't see any reason why my kids need to know about real children who were raped. They can't prevent it; they can't do anything about it. They can only be upset and worried and scared about it. I have always told my kids I will protect them. I don't see any reason to get them worried about my inability to always do so. They will come to learn that soon enough. :(

 

Tara

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I haven't told my kids anything about this. We have always discussed what to do if someone wants to touch them inappropriately, and we have always stressed that if something like that happens it is NOT THEIR FAULT and they are to tell us IMMEDIATELY, no matter what the perpetrator says.

 

But ...

 

I don't see any reason why my kids need to know about real children who were raped. They can't prevent it; they can't do anything about it. They can only be upset and worried and scared about it. I have always told my kids I will protect them. I don't see any reason to get them worried about my inability to always do so. They will come to learn that soon enough. :(

 

Tara

 

I probably wasn't clear....I don't think we need to exactly inform them all about the story...but the previous post was about the wording used to describe children being raped. I don't want that wording changed to 'sex scandle' to protect my child or anyone else from hearing the words 'child rape.' It is on me to either keep my son from seeing the news (which is fairly difficult) or explain to him what that term means.

 

I was shocked the other day to hear my ss10 ask what abortion is. :001_huh:

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Well, they are your kids of course, :tongue_smilie: but I would certainly want an 8 year old who loves football to know at least the highlights of this sick story.

 

But then again my ds knew what sex was by age 8.

 

Why? Why does an 8 year old need to know the terms "child r@pe?". Wasn't that the exact term you wanted used? Maybe they should know @n@l rape? I was just pointing out that sports audiences aren't only men/boys aged 15 and up.

 

It's completely different to read a cartoon book on human reproduction (which we have done) and to understand the strong emotion behind the $exual act. Much less r@pe.

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No way, no way, no way. Nice try!!

 

He wasn't told specifics?? Are you serious?? "hey Joe, dude, just saw something inapproriate going on in the locker room shower..."

 

That was enough. If he didn't ask questions, than he was DELIBERATELY setting up his future defense. Nice try. Not gonna fly.

 

Nope. Not gonna cut it. He knew in 2002.

 

"2002 - A Penn State graduate assistant enters the locker room at the Lasch Football Building. In the showers, he sees a naked boy, known as Victim 2, whose age he estimates to be 10 years old, being subjected to anal intercourse by a naked Sandusky. The next morning, the graduate assistant telephones Coach Joe Paterno and went to Paterno's home, where he reported what he has seen. Paterno calls Tim Curley, Penn State Athletic Director, to his home the next day and reports that the graduate assistant had seen Jerry Sandusky fondling or doing something of a sexual nature to a young boy. Approximately two and a half weeks later, the graduate assistant was called to a meeting with Curley and Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Gary Schultz. The graduate assistant reported what he has seen, and Curley and Schultz said they will look into it. A couple of weeks later, the graduate assistant hears from Curley. He is told that Sandusky's locker room keys are taken away and that the incident has been reported to The Second Mile. The graduate assistant is never questioned by university police and no other entity conducted an investigation until he assistant testified in Grand Jury in December 2010"

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I wonder if this McQ guy has a son of his own now. I can't help but think that it changes your perspective on what you would do if you walked in on something like that.

 

While I get that, I will never understand his NOT calling the police right then.

 

How did these men go on all these years? How do they not have nightmares about what they knew?

 

I'm just so heart-sick over this whole thing.

 

Special circle of hell is right.

 

Zactly.

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b/c I have to walk away from this now:

 

the talk radio stations this morning were using the word 'enablers' to describe JP, McQ, McQ's father and others.

 

 

At the very very very least, they certainly were enablers. In my mind, they are criminals, however, if they knew, or suspected, or had a creepy feeling that something was 'off.'

 

They are only criminals if they broke the law. I feel their actions or lack there of are morally bankrupt and certainly disgusting, but it sounds like they fullfilled any legal requirement they had to report it. I wrote a paper on "Good Samaritan" laws in college, it was very surprising just how few states have legislation that requires a witness of a crime to intervene (by intervene I mean either stepping in themselves or calling the police). Many states have laws requiring teachers, police officers, medical workers, and other civil servants to report child abuse, but this again this does not necessarily mean they must report it to the police, just their superiors who are supposed to take it from there. So, many cases like this are simply handled internally to avoid scandal, one reason why we homeschool.

 

New legislation should be passed in PA to require this type of event to be reported to the proper legal authorities.

 

There is no excuse for this, and I'm glad the President of the University resigned, it sends a message that this was a failure that went all the way to the top. This didn't take place in the 1950's before our society was more concious of this, it took place after the scandals that rocked the Catholic Church, and so it should have been handled out in the open. It shows where we are at as a society, that so many people in positions of authority think this is the type of behavior that can be swept under the rug. Just sickening.

Edited by MyFourSons
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Why? Why does an 8 year old need to know the terms "child r@pe?". Wasn't that the exact term you wanted used? Maybe they should know @n@l rape? I was just pointing out that sports audiences aren't only men/boys aged 15 and up. .

 

Ok, I think I have not explained what I am saying. I don't think child rape needs to be in their vocab lesson. But if you are going to let them watch the news they will hear what has happened. If they hear it and if they ask then I think they should be told what it means. I don't think it should be misreported as 'sex scandle' just because a child may be listening.

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Ok, I think I have not explained what I am saying. I don't think child rape needs to be in their vocab lesson. But if you are going to let them watch the news they will hear what has happened. If they hear it and if they ask then I think they should be told what it means. I don't think it should be misreported as 'sex scandle' just because a child may be listening.

 

 

:iagree: For some adults it needs to be spelled out for them. let them hear the harsh reality. Yoiu say sex scandle to many times, and lets be honest, it just blends right in to any other news these days. You say child r$pe enough, maybe it will make people think.

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Aside from all the other comments, this is the one that gets me the most. This is only my opinion, but the guy didn't say or do anything because he already knew about it! When he walked into that room and saw what was going on, the first thing that entered his mind was probably along the lines of: I guess the rumors are true...and I need to get out of here!

 

I'm willing to bet that a there were lots of rumors floating around and probably some people that knew more than just rumors. People like the GA and the janitor didn't do anything more because they had already covered this ground somewhere in the dark recesses of their mind. They'd heard enough to know that this was going on, but until then, there was no evidence, just hearsay. But they knew. It wasn't a surprise. That's why they acted the way they did.

 

I don't see how anything this atrocious could be going on and only a handful of people know anything. Nope. Don't buy it. People knew or at least knew of it. They didn't do anything because it was only hearsay, at first. Then after a few years it became a locker room joke. And when it finally hit them in the face, they were desensitized enough to not act.

 

The depth of what is being revealed here chills me to my bones.

 

ETA: This is also why they (esp. the janitor) could discuss this with others--this topic had already been discussed before, just perhaps without the eyewitness.

 

YES. I think you have it exactly right here. Even without eyewitnesses to actual abuse, the guy's behaviour was creepy enough that it certainly would have drawn attention.

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:iagree: For some adults it needs to be spelled out for them. let them hear the harsh reality. Yoiu say sex scandle to many times, and lets be honest, it just blends right in to any other news these days. You say child r$pe enough, maybe it will make people think.

 

Yes! Because to be honest, when I first heard this story....and the term 'sex scandle' was used I thought it was Sandusky and college recruits! I barely gave it a though! (and I don't think it would have been right for him to be having sex with ANY young man). When I finally heard that the one boy was TEN YEARS OLD I went :001_huh: and then I started reading about it.

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Exactly. I can't imagine walking in on something like that and not drop tackling the attacker. I can't imagine not wrapping myself around him and digging in even if I wasn't big enough to actually win. I'd leave marks that no one could deny. I might be arrested, too, but I just can't see allowing a child to go on being attacked in that manner....

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They are only criminals if they broke the law. I feel their actions or lack there of are morally bankrupt and certainly disgusting, but it sounds like they fullfilled any legal requirement they had to report it. I wrote a paper on "Good Samaritan" laws in college, it was very surprising just how few states have legislation that requires a witness of a crime to intervene (by intervene I mean either stepping in themselves or calling the police). Many states have laws requiring teachers, police officers, medical workers, and other civil servants to report child abuse, but this again this does not necessarily mean they must report it to the police, just their superiors who are supposed to take it from there. So, many cases like this are simply handled internally to avoid scandal, one reason why we homeschool.

 

I guess I don't understand Pennsylvania law.

 

If I walk up on a child being raped, I have every legal right to turn my head and quietly walk away? I am only legally required to call my boss the next day?

Edited by Swirl
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Not to distract from the actual crime and disgust, but I've been horrified by most reporters' choice of words.

 

"Sex scandal" is reserved for politicians having affairs and celebrities living with porn stars. This is about child rape. How dare ANYONE diminish that reality?!

 

I said this same thing to my husband two nights ago. The media shouldn't be minimizing this in any way, but referring to the rape of a child as a 'sex scandal' certainly does just that.

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It seems there was knowledge of Sandusky's behavior throughout the ranks of Penn State.

 

Every single person who did not stand on the rooftop and yell this out until he was arrested should be fired.

 

The number of people who were complicit in these crimes is staggering. These are fathers. How could they let this happen once, much less over and over?? As MEN, as HUMANS, they should have tackled this guy, beat the daylights out of him, and thrown what was left to the police.

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I think everyone is skipping over the fact that the grad student didn't tell Paterno what he saw specifically. It's very easy to wonder how someone didn't report seeing a rape. That is apparently what the grad student did, that is NOT what Paterno was told. As a person who actually facilitated a relative turning themselves in and going to prison or life for abuse I recognize the severity of the situation but also think some of the outrage is misdirected.

 

You keep referencing this as a "fact," but I read the grand jury indictment and a lot of the coverage, and I don't think it was established as a fact at all. The grad assistant has said that he told Paterno what he saw. Then Paterno passed on a vague report about "inappropriate sexual behavior." Then the grad assistant met with the AD and told him the whole story. The guys who claimed they were never told anything specific are being charged with perjury.

 

I do think the grad assistant (McQuaery?) had a moral responsibility to, at the very minimum, call the police. People are coming down harder on Paterno because he was at the top of the hierarchy. The grad assistant probably kept silent because he feared retaliation. Who could retaliate against Joe Paterno?

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I know nothing of the mentality of the football scene, but I am wondering if McQ saw in his father and in Joe Paterno some kind of misguided hero worship? Maybe that bond of respect and admiration he had for them outweighed his better judgement, because he had faith that he was turning to the two people he most respected because they would do exactly the right thing? That is the heartbreak for McQ, because his heroes let him (and all concerned) down. (And no, I'm not taking up for him, either. The whole thing is sick.)

Edited by Blueridge
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All of this is just sick. I'm glad the abuser is being charged. I sure hope something comes of it. About 1 1/2 years ago, a boys coach/gymnast from a gym where my daughters used to train was arrested for sex abuse. Still nothing has come of it. He's out on bail and we saw him working at the Sports Authority. I was just ill. What does it take to actually punish these people??

 

Heather

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I know nothing of the mentality of the football scene, but I am wondering if McQ saw in his father and in Joe Paterno some kind of misguided hero worship? Maybe that bond of respect and admiration he had for them outweighed his better judgement, because he had faith that he was turning to the two people he most respected because they would do exactly the right thing? That is the heartbreak for McQ, because his heroes let him (and all concerned) down.

 

I could sorta accept this from an 18 year old. At 28, he should have been past blind hero worship.

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I wonder if this McQ guy has a son of his own now. I can't help but think that it changes your perspective on what you would do if you walked in on something like that. How did these men go on all these years? How do they not have nightmares about what they knew?

[\QUOTE]

 

While I get that, I will never understand his NOT calling the police right then.

 

I had to take dd somewhere, hence this seemingly delayed reaction:

 

This is why I don't get why McQueary's father didn't advise his son to call the police, or call Them himself.

 

I am behind on this thread, but wanted to add that.

 

I don't know if I can read it all or not. Like a PP said, I have cried for those children for two days now. Really, I obsessed over the case nearly all day yesterday.

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Good. He deserved to be fired.

 

JoePa had the clout to insist that action be taken. He did nothing. It turns my stomach.

 

I suspect we'll find out a lot more as the investigation unfolds. It may have been easier to turn his head, but the damage to both people and program were so much greater by doing nothing.

 

Many years ago a large church in the community I lived in had a pastor that was accused of molesting young teens. The church leaders didn't hesitate to take action, and instead of it being a blemish on their reputation, their swift, competent, and compassionate handling of the situation even drew praise from the media.

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I had to take dd somewhere, hence this seemingly delayed reaction:

 

This is why I don't get why McQueary's father didn't advise his son to call the police, or call Them himself.

I am behind on this thread, but wanted to add that.

 

I don't know if I can read it all or not. Like a PP said, I have cried for those children for two days now. Really, I obsessed over the case nearly all day yesterday.

 

Because his son was on the fast track for a coaching position within a revered football program. It's as simple as that.

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