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There's no shortage of disturbing aspects to the Joe Paterno story. Take yesterday's impromptu rally in which Penn State students camped on the coach's lawn, cheering. How on earth, you might ask, could people support a man who, at the very least, failed to do more than pass the buck to university administrators upon learning that his assistant had assaulted a child? Read More
Situations Matter...for JoePa?
Sam, great post. Can you take a moment to theorize on why JoePa acted as he did in this whole thing? I mean, no other major university has been as squeeky clean for as long as PSU, and I always attributed that in large part to Paterno's character. Why did he fail this time? What must have been going on in his head? Or, is this a classic example of bystander apathy? I'd love to hear your take on this whole thing, from Joe's perspective.
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Jonathan, good questions. Sure, bystander apathy plays a role potentially. Paterno's from another era in which I think these types of incidents were often dealt with quietly and behind closed doors (a la the Catholic Church abuse cases). And the question of what "character" means in this context is a good one too. Bobby Knight supposedly ran a squeaky clean program, but some of his other actions over the years are quite problematic. Here you get the same thing with Paterno, albeit through sins of omission rather than commission. And then you also have the unique situation of a guy treated like an omnipotent deity for 5 decades in a small town that adores him-- clearly, he was unable to maintain perspective on what was really important.
Who would have acted differently?
According to the Grand Jury Report a similar incident between Sandusky and a young boy in the shower at Penn State was reported to the campus police by the boy’s mother in 1998. The District Attorney and the Child Protection Agency both investigated the incident and no charges were filed. Sandusky retired before the start of the 1999 football season but retained privileges on the campus as an Emeritus.
When appraised of a situation similar to the one that occurred in 1998 by a graduate assistant in 2002 Paterno immediately reported what he was told to the Athletic Director, and relied on the him to handle the situation properly. In light of the outcome of the 1998 incident I don’t think Coach Paterno could have been expected to pursue the matter any further, since he did not actually witness the incident and could only give hearsay testimony.
The real question is why the graduate student who witnessed the incident, a 23-year-old ex-Penn State football player didn’t intervene and protect the child.
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Oh, I don't know, because he was a 23-year-old player who reported the incident to his direct supervisor, the icon who ruled over the entire realm in which he lived and the only head coach he had played for as a player? And then that coach, that supposed pillar of the community, talked to the AD and then dropped it?
Not to justify what McQueary did or didn't do by any means, but how can you hold him more culpable than Paterno? If McQueary goes to the police, he's done coaching. No more connection to Paterno, plus he gets the reputation as someone who isn't loyal (as stupid as that may be). Is that really all you think the head coach of the program should have done in this instance, report it to the AD then forget about it and shrug his shoulders when nothing came of the report? Seems like a ridiculously low standard to set for the guy who lorded over this program for 50 years. Without question, the buck stopped with him.
McQuerry was right there
McQuerry was right there while the crime was happening and certainly had the physical ability to stop it but he left the scene. Paterno was not there.
If Paterno goes to the police they can’t simply take Paterno’s word for what McQuerry told him because that’s hearsay and not admissible in court. The police will need the testimony directly from the eyewitness any way you look at it.
By the way testimony to the Grand Jury indicated that Sandusky decided to retire early in 1999 after coach Paterno indicated that he would be making some assistant coaching changes for the upcoming season. I would guess that might have had something to do with the incident in 1998.
Again I don’t think you would have acted any differently had you been in coach Paterno’s shoes.
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Hearsay has to do with court; it has nothing to do with calling police. And all Paterno had to do was say, you need to call the police to McQ. He didn't. He passed the buck and nothing happened.
I'm not claiming the moral high ground here and saying I'm better than Paterno. But if I were I charge and did nothing, as he did, I'd expect to pay the consequences, as he is. Especially if I were considered by others to be some sort of paragon of virtue. Even Paterno himself is now admitting he should have done more-- why can't you?
We're supposed o be impressed that Sandusky was forced out in 1999? Tell that to the kids who were assaulted after that because he was left out in society to prey on them.
The police were called in
The police were called in 1998 and the Child Protection Agency investigated. Nothing was done by anyone except Paterno and there was no more that he could have done.
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Well, by your logic then, you have no reason to be upset with McQueary. He went to his superior and reported it, so what else could be done.
McQueary’s actions are the key
You keep ignoring the fact that that McQueary witnessed the crime as it was taking place and apparently didn’t think it was serious enough to intervene. Try to put yourself in McQeary’s position. Would you have walked away? Was it OK for McQueary to walk away from such a horrific crime taking place right in front of his eyes? You talk about myopic.
Secondly if Paterno had reported directly to the police instead of his superior the first thing the police would have wanted to do is interview the eye witness – McQueary. The whole thing revolves around McQueary. Nothing can be done about the crime without McQueary.
And again, try to put yourself in Paterno’s position. Four years earlier an almost identical accusation was made against Sandusky and he was apparently exonerated by the authorities who investigated the incident. The person reporting the new incident to you apparently didn’t think the situation serious enough to intervene. If I put myself in Paterno’s position I think I would have reacted in exactly the same way as he did.
If I put myself in McQueary’s position I have a hard time believing that I wouldn’t have punched Sandusky and taken the boy the directly to police station. Anyhow, I think that would have been the correct action in that situation.
The one failure of everyone involved was that no one including Paterno ever asked who the boy was.
Just two little words
Cognitive dissonance
Just two little words
Cognitive dissonance
Just two little words
Cognitive dissonance.
Just two little words
Cognitive dissonance.
"Who among us hasn't, at one
"Who among us hasn't, at one point or another, overlooked or rationalized immorality in the name of holding firm to sports allegiance?" Not being a sports fan I haven't. I think its the whole jock mentality that led to this coverup truthfully. Also, I believe McQueary was 28 at the time not 23 and should have gone to the police as should have Paterno, and everyone else that was told about it.
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Yes, they all should have gone to police. And right, he's 28, not 23 as I mistyped.
But I'd argue we've all done this to some extent at least, and if not with sports, then with religion, politics, or some other allegiance that leads us to rationalize away the misdeeds of those with whom we affiliate.
I wish "Occupy" and the "Arab Spring" type events happened here.
Question:
I'm surprised that the students at Penn state are behaving so differently than the students at the "Occupy" protests or the young people in the Arab world who helped topple their despots. Are these two situations apples and oranges? Or is it because some young people are living more comfortably than others?
Or are they just heartless
I have this feeling based upon nothing but a hunch that a great majority of those protesting in favor of Paterno do not have currently, and will not mature ever into any capacity to care if little boys become victims of a pedophile if even the smallest item in their self- interest is jeopardized. I agree with your article to the degree that overlooking the reality of fan interference in favor of your home team does not make one an evil person, but as an adult, to overlook pedophilia makes one either a loathsome human being, a drunk, or a pathetic loser. Thank you for your article. Sincerely, me.
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