Re: Wtf penn st?
Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:25 pm
RGV Pony wrote:joe pa on the way out says NYT
will anyone else offer JoePa a job?
RGV Pony wrote:joe pa on the way out says NYT
couch 'em wrote:Perhaps that's the root of this, at least from the Paterno side. If you work so close with a guy for so long and really think he's not capable of what this person claims, you'd be hesitant to bring it to the police when you know that even a false accusation will ruin your career, even if you are later found not guilty. Push it off on the AD or President and not be the downfall of a friend you believe to be innocent. Not the right way to do it, but quite possible.
peruna81 wrote:couch 'em wrote:Perhaps that's the root of this, at least from the Paterno side. If you work so close with a guy for so long and really think he's not capable of what this person claims, you'd be hesitant to bring it to the police when you know that even a false accusation will ruin your career, even if you are later found not guilty. Push it off on the AD or President and not be the downfall of a friend you believe to be innocent. Not the right way to do it, but quite possible.
^This.^
CYA is a great business acumen, but leaves others at risk.
Some thoughts that keep echoing as this unfolds:
-If you are contacted by a subordinate that witnessed a criminal act, who sent it up the chain to you, and you choose to do the same by pushing it to the AD's office, while you may meet the minimum of the law(per the DA's office), it seems to speak volumes about your own moral courage.
-Could you, as the lowest of the low on a football staff (a GA), witness the assault of a child, and not intervene? Was the threat of your position being called into question by a powerful/connected assistant coach (ex), enough to simply grow a conscience after the fact? (after talking to dad and then the head coach)?
I would hope that none of us were ever 'eyes on' to an assault in progress, and would choose to walk away and leave the victim to continue to face that torment unaided. Physicians/educators/clergy/counselors see the aftermath of such attacks, and have the responsibility to report these, but I can't wrap my mind around seeing that in person and simply walking away.
If the allegations are as reported, may God have mercy on those children(now adults) that were abused.
cutter wrote:ponyte wrote:Unless one has actually witnessed the foul act, then their obligation is to report to the appropriate authorities within the system for further action. To go to the police with nothing but hearsay might not be a fruitful as many might desire. False accusations based on hearsay are alleged all the time. The accusation doesn’t make it so. It has to be investigated. In essence, they are then charged to determine if the accusations are valid or not. This isn’t limited to perverts preying on small boys, but for those accused of sexual harassment, fraud and a variety of other acts.
From what I can tell thus far, Joe Paterno didn’t witness any of the acts. Thus, his obligation was to report to the appropriate authorities within Penn State to deal with the accusation which it appears he did. Thus he would have fulfilled his legal obligation.
Should he have done more is a question many can’t answer because we don’t have all the facts. If the only thing was an accusation, then Paterno isn’t in a position to act other than report it to those trained and prepared to perform an investigation. There was a considerable amount of consternation rained upon the neighbors of one Jeffery Dahmer because they didn’t pick up the unusual activates associated with Dahmer. The problem is that ordinary folks are not trained to identify Anti Social Personality Disorder serial killers.
Joe Paterno is trained to coach, not identify and investigate hanus sexual crimes.
So it is possible for Paterno to do all he knew to do, do it in accordance to the policies and procedures as required by law and not do something ‘wrong’.
I don’t know if Paterno did anything wrong or illegal.
I'll be one who says you are dead wrong.
If the GA did indeed go to Paterno with his observation, then why didn't Paterno strongly advise him to call the police, if Paterno himself was too afraid to do so himself? saying that he didn't directly observe the act doesn't cut it. to have handled the matter in the same manner as you would a minor ncaa rules violation speaks volumes as to the blind-eye he chose to exercise in favor of his own agenda.
you only have to ask yourself, "what would I want those in power to do, if this was my child?"
ponyte wrote:What I have read is the specific act witness by the GA was not reported to Paterno. The GA reported seeing an unacceptable act but didn’t give Paterno the details. Based on that, what does Paterno report to the police? That a GA said he saw something really bad but won’t say exactly what it is? That should go a long way towards initialing an investigation.