I am a Penn State grad from a family with many Penn State alumni, there is even a building on campus named after my great-grandfather who was a prof there, so I have followed this situation with absolute horror. I just took a training course aimed at coaches (different sport altogether and I am a volunteer not a coach) primarily about sexual abuse of minors within sports programs. It has some bearing on what happened.
First, the basics: Sandusky was not a current employee of Penn State, but as an emeritus coach, had access to the facilities. That access was also provided to Sandusky’s charity, Second Life. The organization held sports camps on campus, which was undoubtedly part of their draw.
Sandusky was investigated but not prosecuted by two different agencies due to a 1998 incident at the Alamo Bowl. Neither agency felt there was enough evidence to prosecute, but believed something happened. (I still can’t tell if he fondled a boy in a shower, or “just” acted completely inappropriately as part of a grooming process.)
It is likely that Paterno knew that Sandusky did something wrong, and he flat out told Sandusky he would never be head coach and that he should resign, which he did.
A few years later, Sandusky raped a boy in the showers at one of the football facilities. McQueary saw it, did not stop it, and did not call police. I can see McQueary being so freaked out, he couldn’t process it yet; same as women who are raped and do not immediately call police. I can believe he was in shock, but come on, he was 28! (I must add, that a Baylor assistant coach who blew the whistle on the head bball coach trying to cover up one player killing another, reportedly has never had another job coaching. I have to think maintaining his career went through his head.)
The next day, McQueary told Paterno something about what happened. Paterno says he stopped McQueary from providing details. The public version of the Grand Jury report does not say that McQueary gave him details. I can certainly see any human being not wanting to know these details. I can not bring myself to read the Grand Jury report, so I can’t really fault Paterno yet.
At this point, Paterno actually follows what the training course I took says to do: report a sexual abuse scenario to his bosses. McQueary, also I suppose, but let’s face it, he saw a crime. Up until this point, I can see why Paterno did what he appears to have done.
Paterno speaks to both is nominal boss: the AD, and the VP in charge of the police and Sandusky’s access to campus. The PSU campus police are not mall cops, they service as big a population as the State College police, and University Park is its own city. These two then interview McQueary. McQueary claims he gave them every detail, they both denied it. Since Paterno corroborated that McQueary saw something of a sexual nature, the Grand Jury chose to believe McQueary and charged both the AD and the VP with perjury.
Both the AD and the VP reported something to the President of PSU. Spanier claims he was told Sandusky was horsing around in the showers. The other two claim otherwise. At least one person is lying here.
Neither McQueary nor Paterno ever called the police. Neither seems to have followed up the AD and the VP. For that, and I speak as a 50 year old life long fan, Paterno deserved to be fired. How could any one not make sure Sandusky was locked away, put in a mental insitution, something! I just don’t understand, and I want to hear from Paterno WTF he was thinking!
Paterno created an environment in which a grown man did not feel the need to call the police about anal rape of a small boy. Yeah, I’m sure there is a strong, “well he is part of the team, even if he is an asshole” component, but this isn’t a family member drinking too much every New Years. This is a family member raping a small boy. You’d call the police on an uncle, a friend, even a sibling.
He had to be fired.