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
leigh
July 13th, 2012
10:52 am
Ya know, there is a kind of “Nixon” quality to Paterno…
“I’m not a crook!” No Joe, that was Dick’s problem, but you were an accomplice….
Off with PSU’s football head!!!!
dealarue
July 13th, 2012
10:55 am
I agree except we did not insist that the Catholic Church be shut down in the USA when their pedofile Priests were taken to account. Should we really shut down Penn State football because of the wrong doing…or should it be better to hold everyone associated with the coverup to account. I think that College Football needs to learn it has values and we as a society need to make sure that all who believe wrong doing is OK are punished for that belief. No, Penn State Football itself is no more guilty than the Pope and the Catholic Church. Lets not destroy the hopes and dreams of the students at Penn State because we as a society failed to see wrong doing sooner.
texans ticket
July 13th, 2012
11:02 am
Playing football means a lot to me, I am an aiming football player. I actually love to look over all forms of topics that relates to football. Incredibly beneficial and practical post. I had fun reading through it and it aided me in some ways. Keep writing one! Thank you so much!
GFJacket
July 13th, 2012
11:04 am
The death penalty recommendation is not aimed at Penn State academics, but at Penn State athletics – - in this case football. PSU had allowed football to become so powerful that it created a culture such that criminal activity with young victims was overlooked and swept under the rug to avoid embarassing the coach and the football program. Victory with honor used to be PSU’s mantra – - the Penn State way.
What will PSU alums answer now when they are asked about the “Penn State way”?
splendid splinter
July 13th, 2012
11:06 am
Schultz – Congratulations. That was THE most powerful article you have ever written. You make a compelling case. One that cannot be ignored except by those who only have blinders on about one bias or another. You convinced me that you are correct in your assesment. This has to be done. It is up to those in authority to stand up to the moral outrage. The morality of it trumps everything else.
SOLOS
July 13th, 2012
11:06 am
NCAA President Mark Emmert’s letter to Ped State from Nov. ‘11:
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/pdfs/2012/ncaa+statement
jerry sandusky
July 13th, 2012
11:07 am
It’s somewhat difficult to write from where I am, but I just want to express my thanks and appreciation to JoePa, my friend of 30 years, for allowing me to pursue my interests all these years without any pesky interference.
Joe, I couldn’t have done it without you.
Ty
July 13th, 2012
11:09 am
Um it will punish the school you idiot and one of their major sources of income. That is the problem here. These high acting officials including the president of the school failed to take action. The school needs to be punished for this. This is not a oh we’ll do whatever we can to prevent this again situation. The school needs to feel the wrath these kids felt!
drbenz
July 13th, 2012
11:18 am
death penalty and let all their football players transfer with out having to sit out a year… wouldnt that be an interesting free for all to watch…lol.
Peanut gallery
July 13th, 2012
11:18 am
If Penn State does not receive a MUCH harsher penalty than SMU from the NCAA then it will finally be revealed for the hypocritical organization that it professes not to be.
SMU was shut down because school administrators were giving cash under the table to football players.
Now you have Penn State where high-level school administrators and the head football coach engaged in a cover-up of felony child molestation and rape?
Penn State defenders need to have their moral compass reexamined.
garcia
July 13th, 2012
11:26 am
This is about who (or what) ultimately controls a univeristy. PSU was under Paterno’s thumb. There may have been titular “superiors” but everyone knows that Paterno was “The Man.”
This is an opportunity to do the right thing. PSU’s academic wing has the opening to seize control of their university. Forget the entertainment, the school must be about the students and the research to benefit mankind.
Suspend the football program for two years. Release all their players from any obligations, allow them an extra year of elligibility AND give them all a free year of schooling. This is what the university should do on its own. If they really want to go the distance, they should consider term limits for football coaches. A guy like Paterno should have been dismissed years ago. We see the sort of damage a lifetime appointee can have on even a large institution.
garcia
July 13th, 2012
11:29 am
I should have stated that the root cause of all of this is about who (or what) controls a university. If Paterno’s political machine had not been so powerful, Sandusky would have been behind bars years ago.
done
July 13th, 2012
11:36 am
Is anyone facing prosecution? both of my attackers got off scott free, when I the called the Houston county sheriffs to report, whomever answered the phone told me it could not have happened ????????
I was a little boy and one of the two offenders was a school teacher, This SH!T must occur all the time. cue Dexter
Confused
July 13th, 2012
11:38 am
Jeff why does the Assistant Coach Mike McQueary get a free pass on all this???? How hot a place in hell would people say Coach Paterno deserved if he had witnessed the sodomozing of a 12 yr. old boy in the Penn State locker room and then walk off doing nothing but calling his Daddy and getting up the next morning and calling his direct report???? How does Coach McQueary NOT go into that shower room with a helmet in his hand and save that child??? Think for a moment if he had done just that…..6-7 future victims would have been saved…Coach Paterno and Penn State would have survived and he would have been acclaimed a hero.
Sad but true…the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who when faced with evil do nothing. As a postscript, I read Coach McQueary’s Grand Jury testimony in it’s graphic detail i.e. “slapping noises (etc.)” That is NOT what he told Coach Paterno AFTER he walked off on a Friday night, called his Daddy and then shared with Coach Paterno on Saturday morning that he thought he saw something “inappropriate” in the locker room between Sandusky and a boy. Coach Paterno said he wished he had “done more.” There’s enough blame to go around but for the life of me I do not get why nobody in the Media talks about McQueary’s behavior…..;
Carolina DAWG
July 13th, 2012
11:40 am
Well Said my friend and you HIT IT OUT OF PARK!!!!!
If this isn’t the Death Penalty then just shut down the whole Damn NCAA Football Programs
smokehouse
July 13th, 2012
11:50 am
You’re one sick writer. I hope you realize that what crap you say means nothing to the NCAA or Penn State. Go peddle you’re hate somewhere else.
Wilbo
July 13th, 2012
11:51 am
Send in HazMat. Clean out as much of the toxic materiel from the labs as quickly as possible. Burn Penn State to the ground. Bulldoze it flat. Plant grass & trees, and make what used to be the Penn State campus a state park.
wardenerd
July 13th, 2012
11:55 am
The quarterback takes money and the whole school is put on probation for lack of institutional control. In this case the institution had too much control and too much confidence in the management team. Paterno obviously ran the show if the president fely obliged to get his blessing before going to the police. Jay Paterno needs mental help.
dawgs1966
July 13th, 2012
11:55 am
Don’t you just love how righteous Jeff is while in his own back yard trustees are openly having affairs with coaches and hauling young female athlete students around in private jets. Get off the bandwagon and do something proactively.
wardenerd
July 13th, 2012
12:00 pm
when SMU got the death penalty they did the following. They established a slush fund and entered agreements contrctually to pay them under the table. The NCAA caight them and slapped their hand and said don’t do it again. he next year yjey felt obligated to continue paying players they promised money too. When the NCAA caught them a second time they gave them the death penalty. It would be a grim but great reminder to see Beaver Stadium abandoned . It is in the heart of the campus but it is not going to happen. It could cause the major powers to abandon the NCAA like they hasve threatened to in the past.
promethius
July 13th, 2012
12:01 pm
How’s about shutting down the Catholic Church!
Chris
July 13th, 2012
12:18 pm
Hey Rational Person…You must be a Pedophile too, if you can not understand the NCAA rule of “Lack of Institutional Control”. If you DO understand it, and still trying toget PennState off from its responsibility, then you support pedophilism
jeffrey dumbutt schultz
July 13th, 2012
12:20 pm
PSU will endure. PSU will win. PSU will beat GA TECH and Georgia in the future.
Now shut you inbred redneck pie holes.
Marco Pillow
July 13th, 2012
12:22 pm
I totally agree Jeff. Casrate Sandusky and let the victims families stone him to death!
Ryan
July 13th, 2012
12:28 pm
This is a very sad and emotional story, but the NCAA has no grounds in this matter. If they did, Penn St. does not qualify for the death penalty. There has to be repeated NCAA rule infractions within a certain time period. There were no NCAA rule infractions.
Everyone that was involved with the Penn St. cover up no longer is employed by Penn St. Why punish an institution, just for the sake of punishing it?
jerry sandusky
July 13th, 2012
12:29 pm
jeffrey dumbutt-
Thanks for your support. It gets lonely in here. I am so proud of you.
You are Penn State!
Utah Dawg
July 13th, 2012
12:45 pm
A heinous crime and violation of basic human values…may Jerry rot in hell and long with Joe as far as I am concerned. My heart goes out to the victims. That said…this is a criminal and civil matter. All individuals even remotely involved should be purged from the University and then face prosecution if appropriate. Unlike the SMU situation and other violation that resulted in some sort of punishment to the program, the acts were related directly to the football itself gaining some type of advantage. Unless there is a specific provision in NCAA rules could be applied in this situation, the program should not be punished.
Joinamerica
July 13th, 2012
12:46 pm
The crimes were terrible. But what real good will come from what Schultz is suggesting? I see many thousands of totally innocent people having their lives damaged, and not one ounce of good being gained, by those who were hurt by Sandusky and the powers at PSU. In fact, a massive punishment etc, will just keep the nightmare alive, in the news and in our national consciousness, for that much longer. I believe that at this point, no one, who is sane, will ever look away or cover up, again. I also believe, that whereas, nothing can outweigh the damage that was done to these children, college sports is indeed, an important and positive force in the lives of many thousands of young Americans, never mind the money, and sometimes, a life saver, for some young people. What is the real bottom line here? What are we trying to accomplish?
zbulldawg
July 13th, 2012
1:26 pm
I agree totally ! This is the worst of the worst EVER. Our youth is our future. Their league should kick them out NOW. When they come up with the date of the knowledge of this Horrible crime they start taking wins , championships ETC. away from Penn St. There is no school or coach about our children ! THIS NOT ACCEPTABLE NOW THEN or EVER !! Plain & simple PERIOD !The death penalty too minor for this offense ! Revenge is not the issue here. But JUST doing the right thing for all to see & acknoledge THIS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED EVER !! God bless these children & their families ! The HELL with the REST of you who think different. An eye for an eye !!!
chattajacket
July 13th, 2012
1:35 pm
And congrats to UGA for landing not one, but two different UGA sports on the list of worst scandals ever.
RTR22
July 13th, 2012
1:35 pm
Sandusky is one creepy looking guy, Death penalty for PSU, not a chance for many reasons IMO.
bulldog steve
July 13th, 2012
1:38 pm
Chattajacket, Tech did not get on the list because they are irrelevant.
Cowboy
July 13th, 2012
2:14 pm
What ever the penalty is here, will pale in comparison to the penalty (Later) for those who enabled this to happen to those children.
Read Luke: 17:2
What they’re saying about PSU, Paterno – Zombie Nation Insider – Penn State Nittany Lions
July 13th, 2012
2:17 pm
[...] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jeff Schultz: “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.” [...]
pbt Dawg Fan
July 13th, 2012
2:30 pm
When will we let Penn State start the healing process. I’am sure that the students(present and incoming), teachers, fans , players and coaches, are all struggle with this. These people are receiving the worst punshiment that they can recieve,because the can represent their University proudly at the moment. If you suspend football, you only will make things worst. Please let the players play and let the coaches coach. I know Penn State will be booed every where they go, But i think the General public needs to allow Penn State to start recovering from the Pain the was cause by Jerry Sandusdy, Joe Paterno and others
TenaciousDx
July 13th, 2012
2:33 pm
It is not the act that is PSU’s issue. It is the coverup. Paterno and others used their influence to protect the university and its footbal program. This is the worst offense ever comitted by an NCAA member instituion. If this does not call for the end of the football program, nothing ever will.
moody
July 13th, 2012
2:34 pm
FOR HOW MANY DECADES DID SANDUCKY COMMIT THESE ACTS, I DOUBT IT ONLY HAPPEN DURING THE PAST 10-12 YEARS ONLY.HIS WIFE AND PENN MUST HAVE KNOWN THIS BUT DID NOTHING, THEY SHOULD ALL BE PUNISHED AND PROSECUTED.SO MUCH GLORIFICATION FOR FOOTBALL FOR WHAT, BECAUSE OF MONEY AND PRESTIGE. KILL THE TEAM.
Blackberry Cobbler
July 13th, 2012
2:37 pm
JS–
You’re a moron. Dealth penalty? Really?
What NCAA violation did the FOOTBALL PROGRAM commit?
Yes, what Sandusky did was horrible and equally so, the folks including Paterno that covered it up. But this has nothing to do with football or the football program.
These are criminal acts but nothing to do with football. Put Sandusky and all the Penn State officials in the coverup in jail.
But leave football alone.
Skeezix
July 13th, 2012
2:40 pm
Our society has placed athletics on too high a pedestal and it has distorted and corrupted colleges coaches/administrators, students/athletes and the core values of so many academic institutions. Penn. State is a very, very sad example of how far upside down the priorities are. I suspect that, as events were unfolding, all those in the chain of command didn’t even see anything wrong (much less anything criminal) with the decisions and actions they took with regard to this matter.
Penn State deserves death penalty for Sandusky cover-up – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)
July 13th, 2012
2:49 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
bubba
July 13th, 2012
3:03 pm
It is greed. Coverups are in our government (Holder), office affairs, prisons, and especially greedy state and federal legislators. Morals and character are thrown out the door. People in business are scamming the government everywhere. Government officials and employees are forced to allow it, or cringe to report it. Cheaters are lawyers, farmers, politicians, judges, construction companies, and free medical and food stamps. Name me something, where they are cheating and/or covering up?
Will
July 13th, 2012
3:14 pm
You people r so dumb to even think that man would cover that sh*t up make me understand why they say sounthernpeople r closed minded.readed the damn report, there no facts behind it the guy just wants to make a name for him self and joe pa is the big fish in all this. None of it is fact based when they say he coved it up it’s worded we came to….. Hint they added what they wanted to it. I read some it or what was leaked THE OLNY fact they have is he told his boss what he was told! Point blank chill out
Raiderbeater
July 13th, 2012
3:17 pm
As a big time college sports fan and UGA season ticket holder I agree. Football is a fun game…..but it’s a game. These men put peoples lives at stake to save face BECAUSE of the football coach and the team he represented. NO MORE FOOTBALL FOR PENN STATE!
Raiderbeater
July 13th, 2012
3:19 pm
Blackberry Cobller,
The kids will be allowed to transfer if they wish with eligibility. They aren’t planning on punishing the kids/players. The football team has to go. If you don;t understand why you need to step back and evaluate yourself. Consequences happen….this is major.
ol' balls coach
July 13th, 2012
3:19 pm
Agree completely. Well written. It is a sad that anyone would still stand in support of the Penn State football program in light of the evidence and the human tragedy. The University should kill the program themselves for 10 years. And if they do not, then the NCAA should.
Bracey Campbell
July 13th, 2012
3:25 pm
It is sad that Coach Paterno died before he could be held accountable for the never ending grief he allowed to be inflicted on numerous boys by a key member of his football state. The death penalty for the Penn State football program is more than justified. The highly regarded Paterno obviously knew all about the damnable things his assistant was doing….but, he turned the other cheek.
chuck
July 13th, 2012
3:39 pm
Why stop with the death penalty for football? Why not shut down the whole university, since the coverup went all the way to the top/
atlgator5220
July 13th, 2012
3:45 pm
I’ve read the comments here in addition to your post. This is one that will need some time to think through, punishment wise.
First, the NCAA can take action that is not quite as severe as the death penalty, and does it in concert with PSU. Vacating wins for JoePa and the team going back to 1998. Titles, bowl wins, etc. All symbolic, I know.
Death penalty? Here is the issue with that – not just football program. Loss of revenue affects all sports, from girls golf to men’s cross country. So you impact athletes far removed from football.
Community? This isn’t Atlanta or Tampa, where the loss of revenue around GaTech or USF would not be as severe. In Happy Valley, the death penalty for football probably means the death penalty for hotel owners, restaurants, parking lot owners, you name it. My guess is the community gets hammered not only for the “death” year or years, but for the 2-5 years after that too. Do they deserve the fate of the football program?
Unfortunately, money is only one solution. Have PSU payout not only for the victims, but for a center – not run by it – that counsels child rape victims.
Removing all references to JoePa is part of the deal too.
Hamstring the Football program – in some way.
Once I got past my own belief of “death penalty” I realized the punishment phase of this will be very very complex, and others should as well.
leftyga
July 13th, 2012
3:51 pm
I can’t believe what Yor are saying Jeff! To give the Death Penalty is not the answer. The NCAA does not have the POWER to make such a call. The Culprits here are the Leaders not the students for Pete’s sake! Fire the leaders but leave the students who are innicent alone. I think I’m thru reading your comments any more Jeff. What an Idiot Statement by you !
Go Dawgs,
Lefty from South Georgia
Brent
July 13th, 2012
3:53 pm
I agree the death penalty is appropriate for the PSU football program in this case. Ironically, this was not a result of a “lack of institutional control”; the institution in question was ABSOLUTELY in control of the situation, which is why it was kept a secret for so long.