Two Day Magazine

Talk about scandalous.

The Penn State football program always had a squeaky clean record; one that avoided trouble because the staff and players seem to conduct themselves with a high sense of moral character. Now, the football program and university itself has to try to wash its hands after allegations that athletic director, Tim Curley, and senior vice president for finance and business, Gary Schultz, were arrested and charged with perjury. The charges stem from the failure to report sexual assault by former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky.

The sexual assaults took place over period of ten years. Sandusky was charged with 40 counts related to the sexual abuse of eight boys at his non-profit: The Second Mile, which helped at-risk youth, while he coached at Penn State. When Sandusky retired in 1999, he still had access to the Penn State football facilities, and he took advantage of those privileges.

In 1998, the first incident reported to university police was by a mother who learned Sandusky had showered with her 11-year-old son in the football facility. When the State Department of Public Welfare investigated this matter, Sandusky promised he would never shower with a child again. No charges were pressed by the parent or university officials. In the fall of 2000, a janitor witnessed Sandusky in the shower at the PSU complex performing oral sex on another child. The janitor reported this to his colleagues and boss. No official report was made to the University.

In March 2002, Penn State football graduate assistant Mike McQuery (who is now an assistant coach for Penn State) witnessed Sandusky having sex with another child in the shower at Lasch Football building. McQuery reported what he saw to head coach Joe Paterno, who then contacted PSU athletic director, Tim Curley. McQuery met with Curley and Gary Schultz just a few days later. Sandusky’s punishment? His keys were taken away to the locker room.

In 2008, the mother of another child reported to her son’s high school that she had suspicions about Sandusky sexually abusing her son. The school banned Sandusky from the school and no charges were pressed.

When I first read this story, all I could think about were the people who said and did nothing to protect these children. The mother who found out her son had showered with Sandusky didn’t press any charges.  Why? The janitor never followed up with his statement. Why? McQuery did not follow up with school authorities. Why? The head coach, Paterno, did nothing after he reported to the athletic director what was relayed to him. Why? The people at the top of the university who knew about these crimes did nothing. Why?

Some people have argued that the janitor, McQuery, Paterno and university officials didn’t have to legally do anything to stop the abuse. Perhaps there is no law that explicitly states such; however, there is a moral obligation that a person has when they witness a child being sexually assaulted or when they have knowledge that a child is getting sexually abused.

As a police officer stated in a press conference: “I think you have the moral responsibility, anyone. Not whether you're a football coach or a university president or the guy sweeping the building. I think you have a moral responsibility to call us [police].”

I hold every single person who knew of such abuse and said or did nothing accountable for every child sexually abused after they learned such information. For what purpose did it serve the university to cover up the abuse that had taken place? Most certainly the public would have been much more forgiving had the university taken swift and prompt action and made the allegations of abuse public. People would not have placed blame on university officials for not protecting children, but instead would have applauded them for their honesty and expressed gratitude for taking a pedophile out of the presence of children.

And perhaps saying they did nothing is false. In fact, they did take action, except the action taken was in an effort to hide and mask what happened at Penn State. The action taken was one of self-preservation. The action taken was to turn a blind eye to the abuse and pretend it never happened.

Each person who knew of the abuses taken place are just as bad as Sandusky. Those who witnessed the abuse, those who knew of the abuse, and those who knew their children were sexually abused by Sandusky and did nothing are responsible for the children abused, the subsequent humiliation, and the psychological and emotional side-effects these children will have to endure for the rest of their lives.

While it may be an extreme statement to some for me to make, Paterno, McQuery and the university officials are just as corrupt as Sandusky. I don’t believe it is too far of a stretch. To know such information and  to not take immediate action to protect and defend children getting sexually abused says a lot about the character of a person. Sandusky is a pedophile, which is a psychiatric disorder, one that has no proven cure.  There is no excuse for Sandusky’s behavior; however, the people at the top of the university, the assistant graduate and Joe Paterno, especially had no excuse for what they allowed to continue on campus.

As someone who has experienced sexual abuse as a child, I was lucky enough that when I told my parents of the abuse they immediately went to the police and charges were pressed. It wasn't until during the trial that we found out this particular man who worked for my father was fired from McDonalds as a janitor and as a local school bus driver because of other allegations parents made that he sexually abused their children. None of these parents, school officials, or employers ever reported these suspicions to the police. Perhaps myself and other survivors of his abuse could have been spared if someone would have spoken up and told the police sooner.
   
We are all responsible for each other, legal obligation or not. If you know of someone who is getting sexually abused, contact the local police or refer the survivor of the abuse to a local organization that deals with sexual assault cases.

Here is a list of organizations that help prevent sexual abuse and sexual abuse survivors:

Girl Thrive

RAINN

Stop CSA

Kids Safe Foundation

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