06-25-2012, 10:43 PM
Quote:The Sandusky Verdict – time for Penn State to pay the price
Submitted by SBN on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 22:00
Friday evening the State of Pennsylvania delivered a resounding message to former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, you’ll be spending the rest of your life in jail. The Sandusky saga isn’t over yet. Among the issues yet to be decided, will the NCAA hold Penn State accountable for their role in this sordid tale of sexual abuse. The NCAA has yet to decide if Penn State is guilty of “lack of institutional control” in relationship to the school’s cover-up relating to the Sandusky case.
“Lack of institutional control” has been cited in most every NCAA penalty issued for the past three decades. USC, North Carolina, Boise State, Kansas, almost every program Florida have been cited by the NCAA this decade. The violations all stemmed from failing to oversee the actions of their athletes, coaches, boosters, or others affiliated with the athletic program. The NCAA has a long list of rules and regulations relating to illegally paying athletes, grade tampering or recruiting violations. The NCAA doesn’t have any rules relating to the sexual abuse of children by former coaches and what took at Penn State – a coordinated cover-up that led to more children being sexually abused.
“Penn State behaves abominably in letting Jerry Sandusky prey on children.
“You know we -- the thing that haunts me in this case is this awful scene that we've talked about so many times of Mike, the assistant coach, seeing Jerry Sandusky raping a little boy in the shower in 2002. Jerry Sandusky isn't arrested for another decade.
“How many kids did he abuse in that decade because Penn State and senior people didn't do their jobs?” CNN legal expert Jerry Toobin offered Friday on CNN’s Anderson Cooper program.
McQueary caught Sandusky raping a ten-year old in 2001. McQueary met with the late Joe Paterno the following day. Paterno told his “superiors” what McQueary had told him, Penn State choose to not contact the police about McQueary’s allegations. Penn State attempted to ban Sandusky from the football locker room.
Sandusky continued to hold football workouts for high school football players at Penn State. During the 2011 Penn State football season (Sandusky was indicted on November 4, 2011) Sandusky and his wife Dottie were seen at Beaver Stadium in the Nittany Lions VIP box. Not only did Penn State never report what took place in the football team’s locker room in 2001 (and earlier), they continued to allow Jerry Sandusky complete access to their university.
"Time is going to have to heal the image and perception," former Penn State quarterback Todd Blackledge said. "That's going to happen sooner for some, later for others. It's going to take time for people to think about Penn State and Penn State football without thinking about the Jerry Sandusky scandal."Penn State must be held accountable for their complete lack of lack of institutional control. In time college football fans will as Todd Blacklege suggested “move on”, some may even pretend Sandusky never did what he did, but that simply are those who choose to bury their heads in the sand.
Why did Penn State choose to cover-up the sexual abuse of children? Penn State’s football program has generated an annual profit in excess of $50 million over the last decade. Penn State had more than a half billion reasons to cover-up what Mike McQueary witnessed in 2001. Penn State’s leaders knew if the rape of a ten-year old boy was reported to the police and the schools' former defensive coordinator was arrested in conjunction the fallout could cost Penn State tens of millions of dollars. What Penn State failed to consider in allowing Jerry Sandusky to continue raping young boys that they are guilty of allowing Sandusky – evil personified, opportunities to continue his perverted lifestyle.
According to the Harrisburg Patriot News, who won a Pulitzer Prize for their Sandusky coverage, “In four months — November, December, January and February — Penn State dipped into its own resources to pay more than $7.5 million in legal fees, crisis communications and other expenses related to the Sandusky scandal.
If that were to continue over the next five years that would cost the university $112.5 million out-of-pocket.”
And now Penn State are facing a series of lawsuits from Sandusky’s victims. Friday night Penn State’s Board of Trustees released the following statement after Sandusky’s conviction was announced: ““The board of trustees and current administration maintain a steadfast commitment to pursuing the truth regarding Mr. Sandusky’s actions. While we cannot change what happened, we can and do accept the responsibility to take action on the societal issue of child sexual abuse — both in our community and beyond.
“The university is committed to ensuring that our campuses are safe for children and to being a constructive participant in building greater awareness of child sexual abuse and the practical steps that can be undertaken to prevent, report and respond to such abuse.”
The statement went on to encourage Sandusky’s victims to come forward and seek the counseling Penn State is offering.
It also acknowledges that some victims have sought dialogue with the university to discuss its responsibility with regard to Sandusky’s actions.
“Now that the jury has spoken, the university wants to continue that dialogue and do its part to help victims continue their path forward,” the university statement reads.
“To that end, the university plans to invite victims of Mr. Sandusky’s abuse to participate in a program to facilitate the resolution of claims against the university arising out of Mr. Sandusky’s conduct.”
“The purpose of the program is simple — the university wants to provide a forum where the university can privately, expeditiously and fairly address the victims’ concerns and compensate them for claims relating to the university. Counsel to the university plan to reach out to counsel to the victims of Mr. Sandusky’s abuse in the near future with additional details.”
Penn State’s insurance company is suing the school in an attempt to limit the coverage it will provide Penn State in the Sandusky case. Penn State is suing the insurance company. If the insurance company were to win their case against Penn State, the school will be forced to dip into its general fund or its endowment to pay the victims.
What could, should, will the NCCA do to Penn State.
Penn State’s football program should receive the death penalty – be forced to shut down their football program for at least one year. What can the NCAA do, little if anything? The NCAA didn’t have rules and regulations in place prior to Sandusky’s November 4 indictments. That makes what the NCAA could do a very risky proposition. Given the NCAA had no rules in place relating to child abuse prior to Sandusky’s indictment, subsequent conviction and the near certainty of a massive Penn State cover-up that relates directly to the school’s football program the NCAA has its hands tied. What will the NCAA do, put the necessary rules in place to ensure what took place at Penn State never takes place again, of if it does there is a price to be paid. Sad but true Penn State has earned the death penalty but there is little if anything the NCAA can do to make Penn State pay any price.