Former Penn State Coach Arrested

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by thetalady

I have been reading all of this with complete shock at how adults could let this happen.

The one question that I haven't seen discussed is why the parents of these children didn't go to the police themselves and demand investigations and arrests and head straight to the media if it didn't happen? There is no way that they didn't know. I know that Sandusky preyed on vulnerable kids that often didn't have strong family support, but still.... WHERE are the parents in all of this?

I've read a few articles (I'll have to track them down) that have claimed one of the parents DID know about this, Sandusky simply apologized and said it wouldn't happen again, and it was never reported.

[ThetaDancer]

Buzzfeed has a roundup of pictures of Penn State students rioting here.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I've read a few articles (I'll have to track them down) that have claimed one of the parents DID know about this, Sandusky simply apologized and said it wouldn't happen again, and it was never reported.

That was the 1998 incident. He acknowledged that it happened, but the DA declined to press charges.

As many people have said, though, the charity catered to children from "broken homes," for lack of a better term, so many of the events went unnoticed.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

That was the 1998 incident. He acknowledged that it happened, but the DA declined to press charges.

As many people have said, though, the charity catered to children from "broken homes," for lack of a better term, so many of the events went unnoticed.

Wasn't this the DA who mysteriously disappeared?

I wouldn't be surprised if the boys didn't come forward with these until months or years later, after they had reached majority. In some of the cases I've read, that was certainly the case.

It was also telling to me how the parents interviewed were all mothers--it seemed like he not only focused on "troubled kids," he focused in on those without stable male figures in their lives. One mentioned that she was very disturbed at how Sandusky tried to tell her how to deal with a discipline issue.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Wasn't this the DA who mysteriously disappeared?

Yep.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Gricar

I wouldn't be surprised if the boys didn't come forward with these until months or years later, after they had reached majority. In some of the cases I've read, that was certainly the case.

It was also telling to me how the parents interviewed were all mothers--it seemed like he not only focused on "troubled kids," he focused in on those without stable male figures in their lives. One mentioned that she was very disturbed at how Sandusky tried to tell her how to deal with a discipline issue.

With the 1998 incident, the boy came home with wet hair. When the mom noticed that, he told her that they had been showering together and it was reported very soon after.

[Ghostwriter]

Originally Posted by LXA SE285

New rumor being reported by Mark Madden:

Report: Jerry Sandusky Pimped Out Kids to Rich Donors

I believe it is poor journalism to report on a rumor. I know Mark Madden was ahead of the curve on this but this type reporting is not a good practice.

IMO - Joe Paterno would have been smarter if he had recused himself from coaching through the remainder of the year and then retired at year end. He would have gone out with a least a modicum of dignity. I do think there is a bigger cover up going on at some level at PSU, though. Hope that Paterno is not involved but I believe a lot more will become of this.

BTW - Didn't take them long to get Sandusky out of the "picture".

[als463]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Wasn't this the DA who mysteriously disappeared?

I wouldn't be surprised if the boys didn't come forward with these until months or years later, after they had reached majority. In some of the cases I've read, that was certainly the case.

It was also telling to me how the parents interviewed were all mothers--it seemed like he not only focused on "troubled kids," he focused in on those without stable male figures in their lives. One mentioned that she was very disturbed at how Sandusky tried to tell her how to deal with a discipline issue.

Please read up on what the Second Mile is about. You may understand why your statement look like an OBVIOUS in light of what the organization is about. I've given time and money (through philanthropy) to the Second Mile and now I am disgusted.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by ThetaDancer

From the New York Times:

I don't understand the riots in support of him, or blaming the media and the board. At all.

I do sort of get it -- the blaming the media and the support, at least, not the riots. It's a fairly common human response, I think, when something like this comes out to react based on loyalty -- loyalty to family members, loyalty to the Church, loyalty to an institution like a college or an institutional icon like a coach. More than one Penn Stater here has described him as being like a grandfather to Penn Staters. It doesn't seem that odd to me for the initial response for these college students -- still kids in some ways -- to be to defend him. The rioting on the other hand . . . .

From everything I have seen, I think Paterno failed here. He may not have the legal culpability that the AD or the GA have, but he failed, and that failure threatens the integrity of the school. I do see sadness in what has been a pretty brilliant career coming to an end like this, but I don't think the Board of Trustees had any choice but to fire him and fire the president.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by thetalady

The one question that I haven't seen discussed is why the parents of these children didn't go to the police themselves and demand investigations and arrests and head straight to the media if it didn't happen? There is no way that they didn't know. I know that Sandusky preyed on vulnerable kids that often didn't have strong family support, but still.... WHERE are the parents in all of this?

This is bugging the hell out of me too. The townies and the kids' parents need to fess up to their responsibility in this...but as usual, they entirely blame the school when anything bad happens and never thank it for the improvement of their quality of life. ("As usual" means "this shit happens in every isolated college town.")

ETA: "This shit" means blaming the school for anything bad...not pedophilia and the cover up of it.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by als463

Please read up on what the Second Mile is about. You may understand why your statement look like an OBVIOUS in light of what the organization is about. I've given time and money (through philanthropy) to the Second Mile and now I am disgusted.

I've read up on it. Just because a kid comes from a "troubled" home doesn't mean that he/she doesn't have a stable male figure in his life (grandfather, uncle, etc.). Calm down.

Be as disgusted as you want to be--I don't care.

[33girl]

On another really random note, and I know there are people who know more about this than me, there are people saying that this all coming out now has to do with the Marcellus Shale controversy. Stranger things have happened, I guess.

http://www.statecollege.com/news/col...ervice-684675/

[als463]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

I've read up on it. Just because a kid comes from a "troubled" home doesn't mean that he/she doesn't have a stable male figure in his life (grandfather, uncle, etc.). Calm down.

Be as disgusted as you want to be--I don't care.

Why do you seem to have a vendetta against anyone associated with PSU? You have done nothing but, bash all the PSU students/ alums on here because you are angry about the situation. Don't you think we all are? I wouldn't expect you to understand this situation.

You made a stupid comment that he liked to target kids from "broken" homes with mothers as sole-caretakers. Maybe you should take a class on how many kids are raised by just their mothers in a "broken" home or you can try and figure out how many of these at-risk youth don't usually have a male figure in their lives. Then, you'd realize how dumb it was for you to say such a thing.

I don't care if you care that I am disgusted at your stupidity, either.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by als463

Why do you seem to have a vendetta against anyone associated with PSU? You have done nothing but, bash all the PSU students/ alums on here because you are angry about the situation. Don't you think we all are? I wouldn't expect you to understand this situation.

You made a stupid comment that he liked to target kids from "broken" homes with mothers as sole-caretakers. Maybe you should take a class on how many kids are raised by just their mothers in a "broken" home or you can try and figure out how many of these at-risk youth don't usually have a male figure in their lives. Then, you'd realize how dumb it was for you to say such a thing.

Show me where I've bashed PSU students/alums. That's right, you probably can't I feel badly for you guys, I do. I'm extremely involved in my college's alumni association on a national level, and I can understand the sense of betrayal that some people might be feeling; others might be taking it a little too far. It seems like you're just being overly sensitive.

You know nothing about my life or family structure. How dare you assume that I don't know anything about kids from "broken homes!" Obviously, he used his position to target some of the most vulnerable children in a community. There's no denying that. How does that make me "stupid?" Of course, that's the first thing you'd come up with--because you don't seem to be the brightest bulb in the chandelier.

Anyway...I really hope this doesn't stretch as far as it's starting to look.

[als463]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Show me where I've bashed PSU students/alums. That's right, you probably can't I feel badly for you guys, I do. I'm extremely involved in my college's alumni association on a national level, and I can understand the sense of betrayal that some people might be feeling; others might be taking it a little too far. It seems like you're just being overly sensitive.

You know nothing about my life or family structure. How dare you assume that I don't know anything about kids from "broken homes!" Obviously, he used his position to target some of the most vulnerable children in a community. There's no denying that. How does that make me "stupid?" Of course, that's the first thing you'd come up with--because you don't seem to be the brightest bulb in the chandelier.

Anyway...I really hope this doesn't stretch as far as it's starting to look.

I don't seem like the brightest bulb...and you assumed that through??? Say whatever you want. I didn't mean you didn't experience a broken home. I was saying I wouldn't expect you to understand what we are going through at Penn State (as students and alumni). I was referring to the fact that you are not, nor have you ever been a student at PSU. I'm not bright? Apparently, reading comprehension is not your strongest suit.

I'll chalk this up to you being upset, just as many of us are and I won't take your harsh words to heart (as you shouldn't really take mine to heart, either). This whole situation sucks. I just ask that you and other people who are not associated with the school don't give dirty looks to or make nasty remarks about PSU students/ alumni who wear their gear with pride. I've already talked to some sisters and they have experienced nasty comments and dirty looks.

Right now, WE ARE...broken...

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by als463

I don't seem like the brightest bulb...and you assumed that through??? Say whatever you want. I didn't mean you didn't experience a broken home. I was saying I wouldn't expect you to understand what we are going through at Penn State (as students and alumni). I was referring to the fact that you are not, nor have you ever been a student at PSU. I'm not bright? Apparently, reading comprehension is not your strongest suit.

I don't want to seem like I'm jumping on you, but this doesn't have anything to do with Munchkin03's post. She was not talking about PSU -- she was talking about Second Mile and the type of children it catered to.