Son: Joe Paterno feared wrongly accusing Sandusky

[alp227]

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno told his son the day after his firing that he hadn't informed the coaching staff about allegations Jerry Sandusky may be a child molester because he was unsure whether they were true, Jay Paterno writes in a new book.

In "Paterno Legacy: Enduring Lessons from the Life and Death of My Father," which hit the shelves at some central Pennsylvania bookstores this week, Jay Paterno writes that his father said he didn't want to accuse somebody of something he didn't witness or know to be true.

"I didn't know that he'd done all that stuff," Joe Paterno told his son, according to the book. "I had no idea. I just didn't know."

...

Jay Paterno, who abandoned a candidacy for lieutenant governor before this year's Democratic primary after his nominating petitions were challenged, is involved in two lawsuits in which Penn State is the defendant.

"I am not writing to exonerate my father because he did not commit a crime that needs a pardon," he wrote. "If anything, he is guilty of failing to possess the God-like qualities ascribed to him by others, qualities that Joe was the first to insist he never had."

His take on the Sandusky scandal closely follows — and repeatedly cites — a rebuttal his family produced after a report commissioned by the university concluded that Joe Paterno helped conceal Sandusky's behavior to avoid bad publicity.

full: http://collegefootball.ap.org/article/son-joe-paterno-feared-wrongly-accusing-sandusky

I don't want anyone to be falsely accused of sexual abuse - but sacrificing justice for Sandusky's victims to prevent a "false accusation"? Not the smartest idea. I'd rather let the police sort out the accusations. In fact, local police investigated Sandusky after a parent reported him in 1998, and despite a secretly recorded confession by Sandusky the local prosecutors didn't proceed with charges!

[Ruby the Liberal]

1. There is a lot of real estate between false accusations and turning one's back

Sorry Joe - you own this legacy.

[CBGLuthier]

2. Bullshit and not really an excuse and not really up to him to decide.

and yes his father did too commit a crime. He failed to report his suspicions which was a violation of law for state employees.

Fuck him and his family and fuck the collegiate sports culture that places them above the law.

[Aerows]

16. Am I the only one that wonders

Paterno KNEW about this, kept it quiet that Sandusky was raping little boys in the basement and in the shower, if he had a part in this?

Sick people seek each other out, and Sandusky is a sick man. I wonder if Paterno had the same sickness, and others that defended both of them.

Pretty convenient that all of this came out when Paterno was about to die.

[SwankyXomb]

3. Gosh, Jay,

did you ever think there was a reason Mom and Pa wouldn't let you spend the night at "Uncle" Jerry's house?

[Brickbat]

4. "If anything, he is guilty of failing to possess the God-like qualities ascribed to him by others,

qualities that Joe was the first to insist he never had."

Reporting child abuse when you find out about it is, fortunately, a human quality. Apparently he didn't even have that.

[HuckleB]

5. There is no justification for Paterno's actions, and yet...

We should learn from them. We should learn that every coach, at every level, needs to be taught about what to watch for, in terms of possible abuse. This training should happen annually. It should include coaches knowing they must report all suspicions. It is not up to the coach to know whether or not the accusations are accurate. Coaches are not trained to do such investigations. Others are, but we need to make sure coaches understand that.

[HooptieWagon]

6. Oh, gee, he was being considerate of Sandusky...

... and didn't give a shit about the kids the monster raped. Rot in hell, Paterno.

[Loudly]

7. It's what police investigators and grand juries are for.

Joe had to have more than suspected. He must have known Uncle Jer' was guilty.

[BillZBubb]

8. I can't believe the family believes this lessens Paterno's failure.

If you get a credible report of child abuse, you have to notify the authorities. It is that simple. You aren't making a accusation in doing so. You are giving information you have to the people best suited to determine its veracity. Doing nothing potentially allows abuse to continue.

Paterno failed Morality 101 at Penn State.

[catbyte]

9. What a load. Paterno=Ostrich

[exboyfil]

10. The prima facie evidence is that

Sandusky went from being the groomed successor to abrupt retirement. It is not written down anywhere but folks were pretty sure at that point. I still find it amazing that they continued to grant him access to the facility and even let him bring a young boy with him to a bowl game. I suspect they had assurances from law enforcement/DA that it would not be pursued.

[Sheldon Cooper]

12. Exactly.

Paterno knew in 1999. That was the year the Sandusky abruptly retired, after being told by Paterno that he would never be head coach at Penn State.

http://larrybrownsports.com/college-football/jerry-sanduskys-1999-retirement-forced-out/98643

[mythology]

11. You know what's worse that a false accusation?

Answer: the actual abuse suffered by Sandusky's actual victims

It's really not a difficult call to make. Yes it sucks to find out your friend is an awful excuse for a human being, but suck it up and do the right thing. Because not turning him in, makes Joe Paterno culpable for abuses that occurred after he knew.

[Initech]

13. Covering up for a serial child molester? He got what he deserved.

[riseabove]

14. His son should of just shut the hell up and let his fathers legacy remain where it is

in the dam garbage, because this make his legacy look like a toxic dump.

"Welllll there may or may not be some kids getting raped in our locker room, but you know what, my buddies good name is more important. And besides, who doesn't take a stranger's kid into the men's shower with them?!?!"

[Aerows]

15. Oh FFS

How many times did he have to hear "He's molesting little boys in the shower, in his basement, on trips out of town and generally everywhere" before he got a clue that the guy was a pedophile.

Fuck that. One allegation should have been enough to keep him under a close watch - sorry folks, but it's the truth. If he wasn't caught, fine. But with the record he had of people making statements, his close contact with children and eye witness reports of rape, he should have NEVER been able to have access to another child to rape. But he was given access because he was shielded.