Pennsylvania law regarding reporting child abuse:

[Are_grits_groceries]

Pennsylvania Child Abuse and Neglect
Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect

Professionals Required to Report
Citation: Cons. Stat. Tit. 23, § 6311

Persons required to report include, but are not limited to:
Licensed physicians, osteopaths, medical examiners, coroners, funeral directors, dentists, optometrists, chiropractors, podiatrists, interns, nurses, or hospital personnel
Christian Science practitioners or members of the clergy
School administrators, teachers, school nurses, social services workers, daycare center workers, or any other child care or foster care workers
Mental health professionals
Peace officers or law enforcement officials

Reporting by Other Persons......Citation: Cons. Stat. Tit. 23, § 6312

Any person who has reason to suspect that a child is abused or neglected may report.

Standards for Making a Report
Citation: Cons. Stat. Tit. 23, § 6311

A report is required when a person, who in the course of employment, occupation, or practice of a profession, comes into contact with children, has reasonable cause to suspect, on the basis of medical, professional, or other training and experience, that a child is a victim of child abuse.
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I believe Joe Paterno should be charged along with probably a lot of other people. Sandusky was his hand picked successor, and it had to be hard for Paterno. However, his pain doesn't even begin to approach the scale of pain those kids went through.

The law is somewhat ambiguous, but acting ethically and conscientiously is not. He did the minimum that there was to do when the grad student reported that he saw a kid raped by Sandusky. If that turns your stomach then don't even try to read the indictment. The actions of Sandusky are beyond the pale, but the actions of many others are at the least reprehensible.

These actions involving the football program, athletic department, and gawd knows who else make all other violations look trivial. I'll bet the NCAA would rather eat ground glass than deal with this. Unfortunately for them, they have declared themselves to be the arbiters in punishing programs for misdeeds. They certainly nail students who are accused of breaking the law. Talk about lack of institutional control. They gave SMU the death penalty and disbanded their football program for several years because of recruiting violations. If these accusations are found to be true, at the very least somebody ought to clean house, and I do mean clean it of anybody who had a clue and kept their mouths shut.

I dearly love my alma mater. I am also fanatical about football. If this happened there, it would break my heart, and it would make me madder than hell. I would want to lay waste to it even more than I do Penn State because of the betrayal of the kids and all that a University is supposed to represent. It would also feel like a betrayal to me personally, and I would never look at my diploma the same way again.

If I seem harsh, it's because I consider child abuse to be the lowest and worst crime possible. kids lives are ruined, and the abuse is passed on because some of abused will probably do the same thing. Even convicts despise child molesters.

I keep thinking nothing will ever surprise me again. Sadly, I am proved wrong again.

[MineralMan]

1. The law aside, everyone has a moral or ethical responsibility

to report such things if they become aware of them. And that report needs to go to the police, not up the normal chain. I'm disappointed in Joe Paterno for not immediately reporting what he was told to the authorities. It was a very, very serious ethical lapse. He should resign forthwith.

Disclaimer: I am a Nebraska Cornhusker fan, and they play Penn State on Saturday. That notwithstanding, Paterno should resign. If it were Bo Pelini, I'd be calling for his resignation, too.

[fishwax]

2. I'm guessing he's in the clear legally, but morally is a different story

Sandusky was also investigated in 1998 while he was still on the coaching staff. I would think that Paterno knew about that. And still he didn't go to the police when the administrators that he reported to didn't.

I'd heard yesterday that Sandusky was investigated in '98 but that no charges were filed. But today I read he was not only investigated, he apparently admitted to inappropriate behavior at the time:

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/11/report_former_coach_jerry_sand.html

In the 1998 case, police had the mother of one of the victims confront Sandusky in her home. The presentment says he admitted taking the shower with her son and admitted it was wrong.

"I understand. I was wrong. I wish I could get forgiveness. I know I won't get it from you. I wish I were dead," Sandusky said, according to the grand-jury report.

Then-Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar decided against pressing charges.

I can't quite tell where that quote comes from--perhaps relayed to the grand jury from the mother? Either way, Schultz was aware of the 1998 investigation, and still failed to do anything when the 2002 allegations were made. Pretty revolting.

Another development: the article above identifies the unnamed GA who reported the incident to Joe Paterno as Mike McQueary, who is still on the staff -- he is now the WR coach and Recruiting Coordinator. I don't know if it's been confirmed that he is actually the GA in question, as the article only says "several sources have identified that witness as McQueary." I haven't seen any actual evidence or confirmation that it was him. I can't imagine someone staying on the staff after something like that, especially when law enforcement never followed up.

If it actually was McQueary, that would condemn Paterno all the more--since McQueary was the starting QB in the 90s and then had been on staff for a couple of years at the time, that would make it an eye-witness report from someone that Paterno had known and presumably respected and trusted for a long time. And still he didn't follow up when Schultz and Curley didn't report it to the police.

[msanthrope]

3. My neighbor, a Penn State alum, was crying this morning. Nobody can believe this.

I don't know the scope of what JoePa did or didn't do--but I found this article pretty informative--

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/joe-paterno-sounded-alarm-sordid-tale-true-time-sack-paterno-article-1.972869