It's hard to know who to be more disgusted and outraged at right now -- Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State assistant football coach accused of abusing young boys -- or the members of his old boys club who supposedly knew about it and appeared to just dismiss it as nothing serious or harmless horseplay. The 23-page report released by a grand jury today on the 40 counts related to allegations of sexual abuse of 8 young boys over a 15 year period are both shocking and difficult to read, with details about Sandusky allegedly engaging in a variety of sexual acts with young boys under the age of 15 -- showering naked with a boy as young as 10, apparently having anal sex with him, showering naked with other boys, taking them to games and on trips with his own family (the 67 year old is married).
Then enter several of Sandusky's colleagues at the university who apparently knew inappropriate behavior was going on and the story takes an even more evil turn. What is it with men of power or in powerful organizations that they would place the reputation of one of their own over the health and welfare of an innocent young child? I will never understand this, nor do I believe that we'd be hearing this same story if the subjects were women.
More on Penn State Scandal: Only a Coward Sees a Child Being Raped and Does Nothing
Everyone loves to name the Catholic Church as the bastion of sexual abuse of young children, but this latest horrific incident reminds us that that is not fair nor is it accurate, not by any stretch. If one big organization is covering atrocities like this up, others are too. And others, and others, and others.
Sandusky was something of a prodigy in the university's football hierarchy, at one point being next in line to replace legendary coach Joe Paterno, so I understand the huge ramifications of news like this getting out to both the university and those involved. But I still don't understand the chain of thinking here. Did the university officials honestly not believe anything bad was going on? It definitely does not sound that way from reading the indictment, otherwise why would one deal with allegations of these incidents by ordering Sandusky not to bring any of the boys from his The Second Mile foundation on the university grounds and leave it at that. I'm not buying the "playing dumb" act, and I certainly hope a jury won't either.
More on Penn State Scandal: Mike McQueary Should Miss More Than This Weekend's Penn State Game
Which only leaves a cover-up. If anything, the university should have learned from the Catholic Church that a cover-up is never a cover-up forever and that the right thing to do -- for any organization to do -- is to deal with it, report it, stop it, and take measures to prevent if from ever happening again in the future. I will never understand why an organization would think they would come off looking anything but gleaming for doing something like that.
Image via Davynin/Flickr
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Comments 30
If it turns out that school administrators knew about this and looked the other way, that is really sickening. These were young boys for God's Sake!!! These kids sadly were easy targets as they had difficulties in their life which made them easy targets. If they had come forward or if their families had reported this , would anyone have believed them or even looked into the matter. I would hope that the matter would be investigated or looked into, but then again, things are often covered up to protect others and those in lower socio-economic standings against someone in a high position are at a disadvantage as the latter usually wins out. Sad to say even when children are the victims.
I wonder how long this would have gone on if the young boys who were molested were children of other coaches in the college, or children of professors or other highups people in the University. It wouldn't have gone on very long and police would have been called (if the school didn't do so, the parents certainly would have)
I think people should do a little more homework before saying "THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of Catholic priests" or "at Penn State it happened once." The unfortunate story here is... there's still a lot left up to speculation, because people have always, and will always, be too afraid to come forward. While we may get some of the stories, we'll never know them all. It's scary.
An ambitious, one-time heir apparent to Paterno...only to retire?Smacks of a cover-up. What a shame. Also, have the adopted children been interviewed?
Hey, BABS! Are you aware there's a world of difference between a LEFTIE and a LEFTIST? You know, the former is a LIBERAL while the latter is a FASCIST? Are you also aware that the Duke Lacross case was evidence that our justice system WORKS? Those boys were exonerated and that woman was prosecuted. I sure hope your post was just a mess of typos, 'cause otherwise, honey, your ignorance is hanging out (you might want to cover that up in public).