Penn State deserves death penalty for Sandusky cover-up
Joe Paterno and other Penn State officials enabled the actions of Jerry Sandusky. (AP photo)
(Updated: 12:45 p.m.)
If we make a big deal about a college football program playing dumb when a recruit takes free shoes or tattoos, or his family lives in a house rent free, how can we look the other way when evidence screams that one of the nation’s most powerful universities enabled a pedophile?
How can we sit through something so sick and vile as the testimony in the Jerry Sandusky trial and conclude that this was a one-source scandal worthy of only one individual or entity suffering consequences?
Penn State should not be allowed to play another football game. It put sport, image and fundraising above everything else. That is what every cheater in college athletics does, and because of that it deserves the NCAA’s “death penalty.”
Southern Methodist University, one of the nation’s top academic schools, saw its football program given the death penalty in 1987 because it put athletic success above what so obviously was considered morally acceptable. Isn’t it now clear that Penn State did the exact same thing?
In fact, what the powers Penn State did was worse. Their actions involved not materialistic goods but defenseless victims who will suffer for the rest of their lives.
According to a 267-page report by former FBI director Louis Freeh, the four most powerful men overseeing the university and the football program – president Graham Spanier (since fired), athletic director Tim Curley (on “administrative leave,” under indictment for perjury), vice president Gary Schultz (suddenly retired, also under indictment) and the late coach, Joe Paterno (fired in what would be two months before his death) — knew far more about Sandusky’s sick perversions and abuse than they let on. They knew it far longer than they let on.
And here’s the punctuation, your honor: They “concealed critical facts,” according to Freeh.
There’s a term for that: cover-up.
“Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky’s child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State,” Freeh stated.
We don’t need to know anything else.
When this story first broke, Paterno said, “This is not a football scandal and should not be treated as one.”
Many agreed. Many still do, including some misguided alumni and football All-Americans and probably surely those numbskull students who marched on campus, embraced Paterno’s statue on campus and protested his firing without any regard for the victims.
The problem is concluding that because Sandusky’s reprehensible acts did not lead to a competitive advantage, the football program shouldn’t pay. But the cover-up changes that. What the powers at Penn State did was beyond anything any college athletic program has ever done, beyond free clothes or free rent and academic fraud.
To hell with a free Camaro. We’re talking about sweeping allegations of a child sex offender under the rug in order to protect a school’s image, fundraising and recruiting. There is no more extreme example of a lack of institutional control.
Penn State deserves to be hit hard. That may seem unfair to the student-athletes, officials and fans who knew nothing of Sandusky’s acts or the cover-up. But that’s the case with all NCAA sanctions.
This investigation was commissioned by Penn State at a cost of $500,000 per month. So much for Freeh having some anti-Penn State agenda. The report numbers 267 pages, resulting from 430 interviews and 3.5 million emails and documents. Freeh’s staff included former prosecutors, FBI agents, police officers, attorneys and a Navy SEAL.
Freeh said he found “more red flags than you could count, over a long period of time.” He said the leaders at Penn State had a “callous and shocking disregard for child victims.”
He said an “inference could be drawn” that the school was trying to protect the football program, noting, “bad publicity affects a panorama of different events, including the brand of Penn State, the reputation of coaches [and] the ability to do fundraising.”
He said Paterno was not being singled out, but at one point declared: “The facts are the facts. He was an integral part of the act to conceal.”
Emails reveal Paterno was clearly following the school’s internal investigation into allegations of a 1998 assault of a young boy by Sandusky in the Penn State locker room showers, something Paterno publicly denied. The same school leaders “proposed a plan of action” after learning of a 2001 incident reported by an assistant coach, but then decided against informing authorities.
“The most powerful leaders at Penn State … repeatedly concealed critical facts,” Freeh concluded.
The “Tone at the Top” of the school, he said, dissuaded school janitors from coming forward after witnessing incidents: “The janitors were afraid of being fired for reporting a powerful football coach.”
Sandusky will spend the rest of his life in prison. He could’ve been stopped sooner. But Paterno and the powers at Penn State were too concerned about the ramifications, off and on the field. That makes it a football scandal, as well.
By Jeff Schultz
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810 comments Add your comment
Bo in North Carolina
July 12th, 2012
10:12 pm
Jeff, welcome back and thanks for the article. Stay with it.
Some are claiming this does not fall under the NCAA’s jurisdiction but could all the penalties handed down by the NCAA pass a litmus test as to the consistency of the NCAA?
Frank Lane
July 12th, 2012
10:13 pm
If I were a competing college, I would cancel my schedule against Penn State in protest.
Ydoes it hurt when I p
July 12th, 2012
10:21 pm
2 year death penalty, give ALL players release to sign and play elsewhere ASAP. Make restitution to families from proceeds of future games go to a relief pot/fund….
Shar
July 12th, 2012
10:25 pm
PSU should not wait to see what the NCAA will do.
They should shut down the program right now, voluntarily. It is the only way to express remorse.
If PSU has not done this by the weekend, the State of Pennsylvania should do it for them.
Don
July 12th, 2012
10:30 pm
You folks who say that no death penalty because it did not affect the football program. Do you really think that the players, coaches, alumni and all did not know about this? then I have some seafront property in Arizona i want to sell you.
Crimsonredscarlet
July 12th, 2012
10:36 pm
I do not know if the NCAA can use any of the current rules to penalize PSU.
I do wonder if the other 11 members of the Big 10 might take some action of their own.
Would you want your school associated with this in any way?
I think that Paterno was 84 when he was fired. If he had been retired at 70,
a new coach would probably not have been so indifferent to the plight of the children.
Bill in VA
July 12th, 2012
10:46 pm
Now that the primary criminal case is completed, it’s time to close down the football program and cool PSU off. A time out, if you will. That will give rest of the big shots time to assemble their legal dream teams to keep their own scared asses out of the state penitentiary!! Maybe that’ll remind PSU that they are a public university and the taxpayers do have a say in what goes on there. They can start the process again, to see if the new administrators seem trustworthy enough to even have a football program at all, let alone D-1.
done
July 12th, 2012
10:49 pm
yeah
re: rational person
July 12th, 2012
10:49 pm
To rational person and anyone else who thinks a shutdown of the football program is unwarranted:
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8160271/joe-paterno-legacy-penn-state-aftermath-freeh-report
A PSU alum discusses the legitimizing myth behind it all.
Frank Booth
July 12th, 2012
10:53 pm
By not reporting this MONSTER to the proper authorities, Penn State was in fact gaining (or more accurately, not losing) a competitive edge in recruiting. This alone makes it NCAA-worthy. The football program should be gone for 10 years before they are eligible to even APPLY for reinstatement. The people who covered this up and let it continue for so long should not go to jail for perjury – they should go to jail for being accessories to child-rape (and be put on Pennsylvania’s sexual criminal list for life, just like anyone else would – should they ever get out of prison). This has got to be one of the most reprehensible crimes ever commited by a group (yes, it wasn’t JUST Jerry Sandusky) of men. All the naysayers should ask themselves, “Would I leave MY child alone with a known pedophile for even 5 minutes?” My god, where are peoples’ sense of morality in all of this? Just because you have a boat-load of cash (and thus, power) it makes this “not quite as bad” as any other sexual deviate’s crime? Just put the (football) money aside and really think about this for a minute.
RB
July 12th, 2012
10:58 pm
Roddy White is proving to be an ignorant individual. His support of Paterno after hearing the facts shows his lack of intelligence. Roddy concentrate on catching footballs more and twittering less.
Peter Wells
July 12th, 2012
11:00 pm
Death penalty – no, but I understand those who say so.
puff
July 12th, 2012
11:02 pm
Since the C in NCAA stands for Corrupt, nothing will be done that takes $ off the table, which shutting down a major program certainly would do.
Popatop
July 12th, 2012
11:06 pm
I agree. Maybe that will send a message about institutional control.
Peter Wells
July 12th, 2012
11:07 pm
to “re: rational person” – thanks for posting. Still do not favor shutting down the program, but I certainly can understand those who do. For sure.
Mike da Tiger
July 12th, 2012
11:18 pm
they can’t shut down the money maker. it pays for title 9 sports etc. plus, the state is on the hook for $500k/month for the investigation. PLUS, the enormous checks they’re going to have to scratch to the victims. plus, they’ve been paying sandusky’s retirement checks all these years. plus, the big 10 is nothing but OSU and Mich so they need another 100k seat stadium in the money making process.
john
July 12th, 2012
11:28 pm
How about press.Iam sure they new about 1998 investigation and they did not report about it at that time,how about those people who investigate him at that time?why they did not do any thing?
Mike da Tiger
July 12th, 2012
11:39 pm
PennSt alum are everywhere and hold high positions with in the media. This was kept hush for years. It was the commonwealth’s little secret. glad you noticed the difference sandusky got in the media vs. a Vick. this story went away for months while every night all you saw was Vick going to court. this is America’s wake up call.
RED DOG 77
July 13th, 2012
12:15 am
Shultz……………Yeseree, we do agree on this one. You my friend hit it right dead center. There is absolutely no way Penn State should ever play another football game in this century. The irony is however, I have always been a BULLDOG………….But as for a team up north, I always sort of liked Penn State………….Not Now………….Good job Shultz…………..RED
Bob Porter Tech '55
July 13th, 2012
12:41 am
Jeff,
A classy and very professional and savvy presentation. You are right on. You are becoming a legendary sports analysis in a class with Bischer. Keep up the good work!!!
Rocky
July 13th, 2012
12:53 am
If all these people at the university don’t like what is happening, why didn’t they come forward? Scared you would lose your job? Who wants a job there after seeing the face of a child being raped in the shower? The sayings go, “What goes around, comes around” and “If you play YOU PAY!
Coming forward might have saved the school and just made the focus stay on the perpetrators! Aren’t football coaches supposed to be tough AND ethical? I am finding out more and more they are not either of those things.
P. Bull Terrier
July 13th, 2012
1:11 am
Using the same illogical logic as those who are demanding the “death penalty” for Penn State football, I have decided to demand that the entire Penn State University be closed immediately. The entire university benefited from the success and accomplishments of the football team, both in financial terms and in reputation, so why limit the punishment to just the football program?
Shouldn’t baseball and softball players suffer the consequences too since they benefited from the money that flowed through the football program?
What about the professors and students? They benefited from the status symbol of a successful BCS football team. Shouldn’t they share the consequences too?
While we’re at it, maybe we should consider closing the whole state of Pennsylvania. Their citizens elected the people who continued to allow the university to operate. Why not punish them?
There is no reason to stop at the Pennsylvania boarder. Why not punish the TV networks who televised Penn State games? Didn’t they benefit from the illusion that Penn State was a reputable football program?
Following the money trail and illogical logic to it’s logical conclusion, shouldn’t Jeff Schultz and the AJC share in the blame and accept an equal share of the punishment?
The people who allowed children to be molested should be judged and punished approptiately in the criminal and cival courts. Asking the NCAA to serve as judge, jury and executioner in matters of child molestation is just as misguided as allowing sports writers to do the same.
Billy
July 13th, 2012
1:12 am
Please take Jerry & Joe’s pictures off. I can’t stand to look at those two ssssssooooooobbbbbbbbb’s
Billy
July 13th, 2012
1:19 am
Thanks @10:49 for link..very well said.
Lewis Grizzard
July 13th, 2012
1:45 am
Another example of American’s over reacting. If you weren’t so prudent this sort of thing would be openly discussed and dealt with in the appropriate fashion. However that isn’t the case in the USA where 50% of all children are mishandled in different levels of abuse…by EVERY institution.As usual Schultz is way off base, choosing to blame the wrong people instead of the culture. Change the culture, change the abusive cycle.
Guest
July 13th, 2012
3:06 am
Not only should the football program be shut down….the entire school should be closed and the buildings razed.
All awards and honors they received revoked. And the name of this rape factory of a school and all those in charge removed from the history books.
If possible, Sandusky and those involved in the cover up should get the real death penalty.
Enough is enough.
Snake Eyes
July 13th, 2012
4:10 am
The reason that this won’t get to the NCAA (National Collegiate ATHLETICS Association) is because this isn’t an ATHLETIC incident. This incident is a criminal one where the NCAAs lack of institutional control clause doesn’t apply here because the athletic program, sans the athletic director and head football coach, wasn’t involved. Jerry Sandusky’s association w/ Penn State is the issue, and how PSU’s senior administrators choosing not to act is the central concern here. In this, they are all complicit in not doing anything. Again, if this was happening with players on the football team at the time and Joe Paterno did nothing to stop it then yes, the program must be shut down. But this isn’t about Penn State football. The ONLY connection Penn State football has to do with this is the athletic director and football coach were involved in the cover up.
The actions of these men shouldn’t be levied against the football program when this is not in the context of a football matter. When people comment (and not just here but in every forum discussing this) that the football program should get the death penalty because a community chose to back Joe Paterno instead of seeing this for what it was, that the senior administrators chose to turn away from the obvious instead of doing the right thing by enabling this predator to continue doing what he was doing on their property. If this had happened with the golf coach or the swim coach (and this is not to deflect any blame from Joe Paterno – he is totally complicit in this yet unable to defend himself obviously) would we be so eager to want to kill the program associated? But because it’s the football program, we’re all eager to kill it because of Joe Pa’s involvement in this. Let’s not be vindictive about this; those that are there now were not involved with this. Even those who were on a football scholarship then didn’t know anything about this. Killing the football program when there is no clear connection or records indicating anyone inside the program other than Joe Paterno and his immediate superior or any direct bearing on the performance of the football team will not do anything. Penn State as a university is the one that’s scarred. Its administrators gave Jerry Sandusky emeritus status where he could use the facilities after he’d “retired” to do what he did.
Just think, though, if Sandusky WAS the one who had succeeded Joe Paterno after Paterno decided to finally retire. If THAT had happened and Sandusky was PSUs head football coach when all this went down, then and only then could I see where the football program deserved to get the death penalty.
Dawg1999
July 13th, 2012
4:11 am
For those stating the current players and coaches had nothing to do with the disgusting actions of Penn States higher ups, it doesn’t matter!!! NCAA hands down sanctions all the time that affects players and coaches today years after the transgressions of previous administrations. The players and coaches would end up at other programs very soon anyway. In the case of Penn State and especially the phoney Paterno, the NCAA does need to hand down the death penalty so as to scare the living hell out of any other institution that would EVER think of concealing anything as serious as this. It is pathetic how previous Penn State alum as well as current students still try to defend the perverted culture that existed there. They’re as sick as Sandusky and his circle. Have to wonder how their perception would be if it had been their child or little brother who was being raped!!!
Sandusky, Paterno and their defenders are/were very sick human beings.
North Ga. Dawg
July 13th, 2012
4:57 am
Great read.
The media needs to embarrass the N.C.A.A. into giving Penn State the death penalty if they don’t have the moral courage to do so on there own.
Buzz2011
July 13th, 2012
5:13 am
Death… No Quarter!!
Penn State Football Scandal: Joe Paterno and the Costs of Worship in Sports | Sandy
July 13th, 2012
6:15 am
[...] columnists and reporters (Jeff Schultz, Jen Floyd Engel, George Diaz and Michael Ventry for starters) have argued for Penn State to [...]
Tennis Rodman
July 13th, 2012
6:42 am
Public Hanging is required. I saw DEATH to Penn State.
Buckeye
July 13th, 2012
6:45 am
And Tressel lied about tattoos and was crucified.
JDATL
July 13th, 2012
6:45 am
Very well stated, and I can’t believe mainstream media hasn’t blown this up. I’m so disappointed in my fellow Americans – where’s the protests and marchers now? Those kids on campus should have more morality than this. Sad…
Buckeye
July 13th, 2012
6:46 am
Perhaps the dogs deservie the death penalty for recruiting future felon wannabees.
Fair n Balanced
July 13th, 2012
6:49 am
Death penalty ain’t gonna happen….too much money, jobs etc. but whatever comes after the DP in severity…..it ought to be ratched up a bit and then doubled and then enforced. This is bad, really bad.
Chief Many-ha-has
July 13th, 2012
7:16 am
Right on Jeff! What SMU did pales in comparison to Penn State. Give them the Death Penalty!!!
Jimmy Crack
July 13th, 2012
7:18 am
Jeff, can you put the death penalty on that disgusting above photo of Sandusky in his “heyday”? How about a nice picture of Jerry in handcuffs on his way to prison to meet his new cellmate, Big Raymond?
SuperB
July 13th, 2012
7:18 am
Also, AMEN. Penn State deserves the death penalty. If I were an alum– I’d sue them for “devaluation of my degree.”
Paterno should be burning in Hell, which is where Sandusky will wind up!
Say Whut
July 13th, 2012
7:20 am
it is sickening to listen to “Paterno’s Apologizers.” And listening to Jay Paterno is nauseating.
Jacketman
July 13th, 2012
7:21 am
Disgusting! Remove Paterno’s name and Sandusky’s name from everything having to do with College Football!!! Scumbags both!!!!
Yeti
July 13th, 2012
7:27 am
Buckeye-there is NO CHANCE you are really an Ohio State fan. Real Ohio State fans no to keep their mouths shut when the football conversation turns to corrupt programs, football running a University, and players with no class.
HAL
July 13th, 2012
7:35 am
Now if the press would talk about our wopping national debt in that tone of voice maybe something might get done.
Predictor
July 13th, 2012
7:35 am
Thank God for Penn State. They make the crime factory in Athens look tame by comparison.
Big Green Tribe
July 13th, 2012
7:37 am
Two years suspension of all football at least…possibly three years after that as a non-scholarship Division III program. This university has disgraced itself, its alumni, its supporters and its football program.
Do not feel badly for the players…they can either transfer or remain at Penn State with full scholarships to get their education…which is the whole idea anyhow.
It might be, come to think of it, be a good idea to not permit them to ever play Division I football again; to play as a non-scholarship Division III team.
GFJacket
July 13th, 2012
7:37 am
Buckeye – - with notable players like Art Schlichter and Maurice Clarett, you should not be throwing stones at UGA.
Resident Georgia Fan
July 13th, 2012
7:40 am
If Penn State doesn’t get the death penalty then just what will it take for a school to get it? Killing kids? Death to Penn State football and as I have long said Paterno was a joke. If the old goat had retired at a reasonable point he would have been spared but he had his own sick ego-driven agenda. He got the death penalty in a way. Now it’s the school’s turn.
jeff schultz
July 13th, 2012
7:48 am
Geez I am an idiot. Did I really think Penn State was going to get a fair shake in Atlanta? Did I forget about the 1983 and 1982 Sugarbowls. Did I forget about the Civil War which left Atlanta on fire and Gettysburg. Geez did I really think people would back PSU down here. Hmm maybe im just a tool preaching to the choir.
Are you serious?
July 13th, 2012
7:50 am
You’re an idiot. The death penalty should be in direct response to a program cheating to gain an advantage on the field of play. This has nothing to do with athletics, however it does have everything to do with leadership. The NCAA should come down very hard on this university, not to mention the criminal and civil consequences. But this has 0% to do with the product on the field!!!
The choir
July 13th, 2012
7:54 am
Oh Happy Day. Oh Happy Day. PSU die. We hate you so much. Everybody will pay for a non-football cover up.