The Gig is Up! Penn State Fires long time coach Joe Paterno after Allegations of Rape

Following the firing of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno; all hell broke loose on the campus of Penn State with students overturning cars, kicking out windows and police in riot gear armed with pepper spray to regain order.  To be honest all hell should have broke loose especially when a crime as heinous as to the raping of innocent young boys has occurred by a man who many families entrusted with their children.  But let’s be clear, Paterno is not the person who committed these crimes—raping young black boys, it was his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, but Paterno knew about it and did nothing for over 15 years.  Sandusky founded a program called The Second Mile charity back in 1977.  It was designed to work with at-risk, disadvantage youth, but now there are some who say that he used the organization as a front to lure unsuspecting children.  Some of the sexual assaults took place at the Penn State football complex.  In fact then-graduate assistant and current assistant coach Mike McQueary witnessed Sandusky having sex with a young boy in the shower back in 2002, which he reported to Paterno, and still nothing was done. Well not enough.  Paterno did notify the athletic director, Tim Curley, and vice president, Gary Schultz, who in turn notified Penn State President Graham Spanier, but that was it.  That’s called passing the buck.  Spanier was also fired.

Curley and Schultz have both been charged with failing to report the incident to authorities and Spanier may be next. But what about Paterno?  That’s the question raised by reporter Mark Madden who reported this incident over 6 months ago about “Penn State’s dirty little secret”  “What did Paterno know, and when did he know it? What did Penn State’s administration know, and when did they know it? (source Beaver County Times) Answering that question quite possibly will bring more charges—with Paterno included.  Surprisingly Paterno has not been charged in this case.  Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said his failure to contact police himself a lapse in “moral responsibility.”  In the real world this lapse (of judgment) would be considered a crime.  Paterno would have been charged as a co-conspirator, an accomplice or even an accessory to crime.

Paterno does however have remorse. “This is a tragedy,” Paterno said. “It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.” Perhaps the 84 year old wasn’t charged because he yields more power than many may think.  In his 46 year career Paterno has over 409 victories – won two national titles and guided five teams to unbeaten, untied seasons, this man is like an icon and may not be someone you want to prosecute.  Just look at what happened from his firing.

Do you think Paterno should face prosecution as well?