Firstly I find it all but impossible to believe that Paterno, the head coach, was unaware of the first sex abuse investigation in 1998. That is why Sandusky mysteriously retired.
And honestly Sandusky would never have risked suing. Even if he had been innocent, a suit would have tainted his name and charity with allegations of child sexual assault.
I think some people are trying to act like Joe Pa was the God of Penn St and everything ran through him.
But isn't that the image Penn State allowed for years. I mean Paterno is the guy who a few years back refused to retire when asked and even in the days before he was fired basically tried to tell the Board to 'not bother' with his situation. The Board only asserted their actual power under intense national scrutiny.
At the very least, with a word Paterno could have had Sandusky barred from the athletic facilities, bowl games, etc., all activities that facilitated him being alone with his victims after 1998. Those were privileges that Sandusky held at least in part until last year!
The issue here is also that Paterno and Penn State actively held themselves up as paragons of integrity. Paterno was nominated for a Presidential Medal of Freedom for heaven's sake.
While Penn State was covering up a child rape scandal, other schools were getting sanctioned and flamed as 'dirty' because of various non-criminal issues that look utterly trivial by comparison. By covering up the scandal, Penn State protected its recruiting and revenue stream for at least a decade. The programme deserves the death penalty.
As something thinking about becoming a mother, who is also an American football fan, this issue upsets me deeply. I honestly feel torn if I can even follow my alma mater (Michigan) in the future knowing how far people will go to protect these sports institutions.
