By Kevin Foley
A headline in the New York Times Saturday, the morning after Jerry Sandusky's conviction, suggested Penn State University is moving on now that this ugly chapter is closed. The article noted all questions concerning Sandusky are being referred to a public relations agency. A former trustee even bragged that the affair hasn't hurt applications for admission.
“I think that’s it’s been rather surprising and gratifying that the boat hasn’t been rocked that much in terms of continuing to be a strong academic university,” crowed Larry Foster.
Mr. Foster may think the "boat" will pay whatever it costs to make this disgraceful scandal go away, but there needs to be a second trial now, this one to test the theory that the cover up is always worse than the crime.
In the former assistant coach's case, it's difficult to imagine something more monstrous than what Sandusky did to his victims, but the public needs to find out who knew what and when they knew it. It is quite possible the Penn State predator could have been stopped long ago, saving an unknown number of children the psychic scars Sandusky inflicted on them.
It has yet to be determined if university officials, police, coaches and others enabled and facilitated Sandusky's crimes; if administrators and others chose to put Penn State's sterling reputation and that of its legendary football coach ahead of protecting vulnerable boys. If that's true, a number of individuals and institutions may be liable not only for monetary damages, but criminal penalties too.
Of course Joe Paterno is dead and gone, his legacy in tatters. But there are plenty of folks still alive and kicking who can tell us what they knew about Sandusky's rampage, which goes back at least two decades.
Graham Spanier, the former university president, who thought Sandusky should be treated "humanely" after the horrific allegations came out, will be named in the tsunami of civil suits against Penn State that is coming.
Unlike Sandusky, Spanier will be forced to take the stand and answer questions under oath. Ditto the former athletic director, Tim Curly andGary Schultz, the former vice president for finance, both of whom already face perjury charges.
What about the university's police force, the State College police and even the Pennsylvania State Police? We know the therapist for one of Sandusky's victims told Penn State police 14 years ago she thought the coach's behavior fit that of a pedophile and nothing happened beyond an officer suggesting to Sandusky he not shower with boys. It's obvious police had ample probable cause. Why didn't they investigate?
Members of Paterno's staff, past and present, must be cross examined. Coaching staffs are notoriously closed cliques. When they socialize, it's often together. No other Penn State assistant besides Mike McQueary had any inkling of Sandusky's depravity?
Let's hear what officials at Sandusky's charity, Second Mile, have to say about how the child molester used the organization that was supposed to be helping troubled kids procure his victims. Did anybody at Second Mile protect Sandusky?
There is no Penn State football without big money boosters, many of whom had access to JoePa's inner sanctum. Expect a number of these people to find their way into courtrooms.
Penn State is an institution belonging to the people of the Commonwealth. Thus, Pennsylvania's tax payers have a right to know how it was possible Sandusky could, for many years, use state owned and operated facilities as his sick playground.
Finally, there will be a long line of victims testifying, the boys who lost their childhoods to Sandusky, those who have already come forward and probably many more who will.
Anyone who believes this will all blow over now that the pedophile coach is locked up doesn't understand the power of the truth. It will be many years, probably decades, before the stain of Jerry Sandusky is finally washed away in Happy Valley.
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Kevin
Foley is president of KEF
Media Associates, an Atlanta-based producer and distributor
of sponsored news content to television and radio media. |