The scandal that rocked Penn State University and the college football world last week was unlike any other. In a week’s time, a college campus rioted, a legendary coach was fired and several young men were reminded of a horrific time in their lives. The story also shows us a gross example of negligence, abuse of power, the good ole’ boy network and the inability to separate right from wrong.
If former Penn State’s former graduate assistant and current quarterback coach, Mike McQueary, had gone to the police when he witnessed a young boy being sexually assaulted, we would not be at this point. If only Coach Paterno, when he learned of this incident, had acted immediately and saw that authorities investigated the allegation, other boys would have been spared abuse. Maybe things could would have been different if then Athletic Director Tim Curley and VP for Business and Finance Gary Schultz, had not swept things under the rug and lied to a grand jury years later.
Negligence. Abuse of power. The good ole’ boy network. All of these things are apparent in this sad tragedy. And we can’t forget apathy. As thousands of college students on the campus of PSU took to the streets of College Station in support of Paterno following his firing by the Board of Trustees, did anyone stop to think that he had a hand in this coverup? Are we ignoring the fact that instead of telling his friend and longtime assistant to get help or turning him into law officials, he forced Sandusky into retirement in hopes that Sandusky’s trysts wouldn’t tarnish the Penn State brand? I’ve done my share of protest and “raising sand” in college, but the actions of the Penn State students has to be of the most ignorant I’ve seen from any college students.
This story is heartbreaking and emotional, but most of all it’s sad. Sad for the young men affected — young men, now adults whose lives were preyed upon while one sick man was protected. Everyone looked out for the best interest of the University. No one bothered to look out for the young boys. Not even Paterno.
The Sports Brothers
Verl Shaw
November 20, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Its like the Catholic Church and their protection of the Priests.
God, Please help this nation.
Amen
Grant
July 12, 2012 at 10:49 pm
Joe Pa never should’ve had the opportunity or time to weigh his options… to think about the program and its reputation.
McQueary had the opportunity to force Penn State’s hand and take all choice and politics off the table. By failing to do was what we all hope and pray we would’ve done in his place, he turned a crime in process into a-day-too-late, now potential PR crisis to people with too much power and too much at stake to be trusted to do the right thing.
All that hand-wringing, which led to a despicable course of action, could’ve been avoided (without fear of consequence, btw) had he simply taken that little boy with him and into safety.
Put yourself in the place of that 10 yr-old boy. You’re being raped and, miracle of miracles, help arrives…. a grown up, someone to take him away from his abuser and keep him safe. But what does your savior do? He walks out the door, leaving you along with your rapist. You are 10.
We know there was another Sandusky victim who tried to report his abuse and wasn’t believed. The emotional scar tissue of asking for help and being denied is tremendous. The damage done to a little boy who saw a grown up turn his back on a crime in progress… well, it’s unthinkable.
McQueary going to his dad and reporting what he saw to his boss is, to me, appropriate. But leaving that kid in the shower with his abuser… well, I don’t know how you sleep at night knowing you did that.
The fear he had of losing his job only comes into play because he walked away. Had he had the victim in his arms, the hero who stopped a crime, it become impossible for Penn State at that point to then reprimand him. It becomes too late to worry about reputation at that point. Damage control becomes immediate. The party line in that situation would’ve been to express shock and outrage… and the golden opportunity to publicize taking the moral high ground by alerting the authorities, reputation be damned. Penn State would have looked like another one of Sandusy’s victims…. duped by him like everyone else.
McQueary’s delay created the opportunity for officials to consider the option of covering their asses. He had the power to force their hand without fear of repercussion… he simply wasn’t smart enough to realize it. More to the point, he wasn’t man enough not to care about consequences and just do what was right. What he’d certainly have done if it were his own son being victimized.
Had he walked in on an Ohio State player attempting to steal a Penn State playbook…. there’s no way he’d left that locker room without having the book safely in hand first.
It’s unconscionable. I hope he prays every night for that little boy’s forgiveness. I hope they all do.
The cover-up after the fact is just as disgusting, but that’s no longer in question. I just wanted to point out that a could-be hero in this mess precipitated what followed. At 28 and a member of the program, he knew that by going to Joe Pa, the situation would be handled with Penn State’s interests in mind, not the boy’s.
McQueary got off way too easy in this report. He saw what he saw and heard what he heard and he stood by and for all intents and purposes, did nothing. And not just once, but again as the conspiracy of silence marched on. Anything for the program, i guess. He too should be held legally responsible should additional charges be pursued. And I really liked Big Red. Almost as much as I once liked Joe Pa.