Joe Paterno is the winningest coach in top level college football history but his legacy will now forever be tarnished by the molestation scandal that has rocked Penn State University.
All of this scandal revolves around long time assistant coach Jerry Sandusky and allegations of a University wide cover-up of his alleged crimes. Sandusky was arrested Saturday and charged with molesting eight boys over a 15-year-period, all of whom he met through his own charitable organization, The Second Mile, a group home and outreach program for troubled boys.
Along with Sandusky, Athletic Director Tim Curly and Vice President for Finance Gary Shultz were also shraged for not reporting what they knew to authorities and lying under oath during the investigation. These arrests stem from an incident in 2002 in which graduate assistant coach Mike McQueary allegedly saw Sandusky sexually assaulting a boy in a locker room shower in the Penn State football department. McQueary told Paterno what he saw, then Paterno told Curly and Shultz.
None of these men reported the incident to police.
Jerry Sandusky Autobiography: Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story
Curly and Shultz were arrested because they had a legal responsibility to inform the police about the incident. While Paterno was only legally required to inform his superiors the police have stated he failed a “moral obligation” to alert them.
Paterno said today:
“I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief. This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”
He added:
“That’s why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can.”
Sandusky, 67, through his attorney, is denying the charges. What is your opinion, did Joe Paterno fail his University and his fellow citizens by not reporting what he knew to the police?
