A Fine Line ...

I'm not so sure why this story bothers me, but it does.  I did some reading trying to get some more facts but everything I read doesn't add up to the "punishment" that is being handed down.

The story I'm talking about is the Sex Scandal at Penn State.  Most specifically the tarnish-ment of a man's reputation because of not stepping on the right side of the "fine line" - I'm talking about Joe Paterno.  My thoughts are not "popular" by most standards.

I want to start by saying that I think what has transpired through the disgusting and perverted acts of Jerry Sandusky is horrible.  It is a horrible crime and he should face serious consequences when all is said and done.  My heart breaks for those children who were sexually abused and for their parents as well.  I was a person who was sexually assaulted and I have a good idea what they are feeling and can sincerely empathize.  When all is said and done and the necessary concrete evidence points to Mr. Sandusky and his wrong doings, I hope he gets the maximum punishment allowable by law!

I'm struggling with the "punishment" that was handed down by the board of trustees to Coach Joe Paterno - his termination from coaching and forced retirement.  I get why people are so upset with him, he erred.  He didn't cross the correct side of the "fine line".  We all can say today how we would have handled this situation give the facts at hand - that's pretty easy and pretty cut and dry as the facts are all laid out for us now.  Back in 2002, the facts were just developing.  Coach Paterno took the information that he had learned from his graduate assistant and ran it up the flagpole.  He followed a proper course of action by informing his superiors of what was told to him by his graduate assistant.  Should Coach Paterno have gone to the police? - In hind sight, the answer is yes!  I don't dispute that, but like I said, the facts were not clear, Coach Paterno was not an eye-witness to the alleged sexual abuse, but merely a messenger to the administration that his graduate assistant believes he witnessed an alleged sexual abuse situation between Jerry Sandusky and a minor.  I'm struggling with why this wasn't enough, given that Coach Paterno was not an eye witness to the alleged assaults.  And, yes I do have children and yes if it was my child being molested, I would want someone to stand up for my child and go to the police.  But there is this "fine line" when you are not the eye-witness to a crime it's called "hearsay".

The other half of the fine line is this scenario - Coach Paterno could have contacted the police regarding the incident that happened in March of 2002 and the police could have investigated and it could have turned out to be all a misunderstanding or it could have been a completely false accusation by his graduate assistant.  Meanwhile a person's reputation would have been tarnished and dragged through the mud unmercifully and unjustly.  As it turns out, the accusations are appearing to be correct as the facts unfold.  We know that today, but Coach Paterno didn't necessarily know that back in 2002.  So he did what he thought was correct at the time.  I bet if you asked him last week as the story was cooking on "high" and well before he was terminated yesterday, he wished he had done more to protect the victims of Jerry Sandusky's crime.  Not to save his reputation but because he probably feels partially responsible for what may have happened to children after that day in March 2002.

I don't believe Joe Paterno was trying to cover up a situation, I don't think he was trying to protect the reputation of Jerry Sandusky, nor Penn State University, I truly believe he made an error in judgement.  One that he is going to regret for the rest of his life, not because it cost him his job and tarnished his legacy but because young children had to experience sexual abuse by the hands of a monster, Jerry Sandusky.

As a person who was sexually assaulted at a University, the campus police had first jurisdiction over the crime committed on campus before the municipal police.  The university police was responsible for handling the accusation and they then turned evidence over to the municipal police.  Those above Coach Paterno erred - they should have had the university police investigating the alleged crime.  The eye-witness should have at least taken what he has seen directly to the university police department.  That is where the problem lies - if there was any person who failed these children, it was the eye-witness and his inability to stop what was happening and for not contacting at least the university police instead of his father and Coach Paterno.

We all make mistake in judgement ... not one of us is perfect!  I'm just having a hard time with the media and people going after Joe Paterno with such a vengeance when the perpetrator was Jerry Sandusky.  He was the horrible monster that molested these children.  Coach Paterno did not!