DEVELOPING: 3 Ex-Penn State Officials Held Over For Trial

Penn State ex-president Graham Spanier, former athletic director Tim Curley and former vice president Gary Schultz have been bound for court on the charges against them in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case.

Dauphin County Judge William Wenner found enough evidence to warrant a trial for three after a two-day preliminary hearing in Harrisburg.

Former Penn State assistant football coach Mike McQueary testified as part of the hearing that Curley and Schultz knew what was going on...

Here's the update after his testimony...
((HT: ABC27 Harrisburg))
abc27 WHTM

Spanier's grand jury testimony during the Sandusky trial was read in open court in the morning session where it was disclosed that, according to Pennlive's Charles Thompson:

Prosecutors alleged that Spanier lied when:

He told the grand jury investigating former Penn State football assistant Jerry Sandusky that he never understood the 2001 incident to involve the abuse of a child.

He told the same panel that he was never made aware of any prior accusations against Sandusky. Records show Spanier was copied on at least some of the updates between Schultz and Curley on that case.

Schultz and Curley are already charged with perjury and the prosecution has to prove the statements were false to get a conviction to stick.

Spanier Arraigned In Sandusky Case

((HT: WHP-TV))

Graham Spanier, the former president at Penn State appeared in court today facing charges from his alleged involvement in the Jerry Sandusky scandal. He didn't speak to the media. Spanier's attorney, Elizabeth Ainslie, spoke for the both of them on the charges:

“It is absolutely ridiculous. Dr. Spanier was never given a chance to speak to this grand jury to give his side of the story and we look forward to the chance to present his side of the story in the future.”

Here is Spanier walking into court not answering questions...


Spanier was arraigned on charges of:
Endangering the Welfare of Children
Perjury
Obstruction
Criminal Conspiracy, and
Failure to report child abuse

Bond was set at $125,000. But the bond is unsecured, there is no cost involved unless he doesn't show up for his next court date of November 16th. Spanier was also told to forfeit his passport and that he can't leave the state of Pennsylvania.

More when we know more...

DEVELOPING: Spanier Charged In Sandusky Case

((HT: WHP-TV))

The HQ figured we weren't far from this, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newspaper is reporting that former Penn State President Graham Spanier has been charged in connection to the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

A source told the newspaper's Paula Reed Ward that Attorney General Linda Kelly will announce at a noon presser that Spanier is facing perjury and obstruction of justice charges.

**Update**--That source was correct.

Spanier was forced to resign a year ago because of what went down...

The comprehensive report sanctioned by the school that former FBI Director Louis Freeh released said that Spanier knew about Sandusky and his history on campus, but he (Spanier) consulted with other university officials to cover the accusations up... which, of course, he and his lawyers deny.

WHTM TV in Harrisburg, PA gives us the Attorney General's press conference: abc27 WHTM
From the Reed Ward piece:

Mr. Spanier said he never knew any details about the 2001 incident, and that at the time he was simply given a "heads-up" that others in his administration were dealing with Sandusky for engaging in "horseplay" in the shower.

The day before Mr. Spanier made those statements to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, attorneys on his defense team characterized the Freeh report as a "blundering and indefensible indictment." Further, they said they didn't believe the state attorney general had a "scintilla of evidence" that could support charges similar to those faced by Mr. Schultz and Penn State athletic director Tim Curley.

Spanier's attorney released a video taped statement. (Thanks WHP-TV):

Graham Spanier (former Penn St prez) goes on the Offensive

Well, it certainly took awhile.

A mere 2 months after the scathing Freeh Report from Penn State that vilified former school President Graham Spanier, Spanier finally is responding.

Wednesday morning one of his lawyers held a Press Conference in Philadelphia saying that the Freeh Report on how the Jerry Sandusky scandal was handled was "Nothing short of absurd" and that there was nothing in it that incriminated his client.

And...he's right, his client isn't charged with anything other than ignoring warnings of a sexual predator in his midst on the premise of "Protecting the Penn State Way". Which for some strange reason seems to be everyone's defense of this. Now, yes, we are aware the Grand Jury in Centre County may be investigating him, but thus far, no charges are forthcoming.

Philly.com gives us the laughable details of the presser RIGHT HERE

Oh...did we mention that Spanier was interviewed by Josh Elliot of ABC and the interview "Coincidentally" will be airing Wednesday night?

ABC is trumpeting the "Get" with a press release which you can read RIGHT HERE

Okay.

First thought: This is an attempt to try and salvage Spanier's career in academia. And it's already too late. Does anyone not think this is the pleading of a desperate man? If Spanier is so "Innocent" why was there not an "Immediate" retort? Could we have possibly been plotting a way to respond while not trying to sound as guilty as he does in the Freeh Report?

We kind of hate to publicize stuff like this, but it's all over the mainstream media now. And we'll get a full day of breathless ABC teases saying things like "Graham Spanier, what did he know about Jerry Sandusky? He speaks to our Josh Elliot, that story LIVE at 6:30"

And yeah, if we weren't on vacation, we'd probably watch...

Here's the WHP-TV version...

PSU Trustees File Suit Against NCAA, Spanier and Schultz Still Getting Paid

((HT: ESPN))

Don Van Natta is at it again- in a good way...

As he has uncovered that some of the current members of the Penn State Board of Trustees have filed a lawsuit against the NCAA ordering the elimination of the judgment, lawsuit, and anything else associated with the ruling that came down from Indianapolis...

Basically, the four trustees at the front of the suit claim the suit is "null and void" since the assertion is that President Rodney Erickson didn't have the authority to unilaterally sign the consent decree that the school and NCAA agreed to in the first place.

Ryan McCombie, a new member on the Board, claims that there was a lack of due process, the consent decree was based erroneously on the Freeh Report and the report alone, and that the damage done is "excessive" to an entire generation...

Whatever that means...

Here's the letter of appeal...thanks to Van Natta and ESPN...

Here's how some of the Penn State community is tackling the ruling, outside of the Trustees...
((HT: WHP-TV))


Also, two of the more important and checkered individuals associated with the scandal on campus are still getting paid- Graham Spanier and Tim Curley.

Spanier was fired in November, but he’s a tenured professor. But tenuired professors are protected- from, apparently, everything. In 2011 Spanier made more than $700,000 with pay and benefits.

Curley went on leave right after Sandusky’s indictment, so he is still being paid. According to the Penn State website, he makes close to $400,000.

You like apples...???
How you like them apples...???

Penn State fallout: Did NCAA do the right thing?

We could make this really short and just say--Yes, but there is more to it.

By now, most of you have read about the sanctions handed down by the NCAA to Penn State over their appeared coverup for Jerry Sandusky.

4-years without a bowl, 4-years with 20 scholarships lost, $60-million ($15 mil a year) and all victories since 1998 vacated, just to name a few.

No, it isn't the "Death Penalty", but it could be. It will be a decade...at least before they could be a potential powerhouse again.

But the questions remain: Was it too much? Was it not enough?

And the answer: It was neither.

Like it, agree with it or not, the NCAA had to do it. Yes, we know it is precedent setting, but the scope of what happened in Happy Valley was too.

No, they could not issue a "Death Penalty".  And though many argued they might as well have, it's not the same thing.

Killing the program doesn't just affect those in the program. It affects EVERYONE in the Big 10. It affects all the other teams on the Nittany Lions schedule. And ultimately, agree or not, the NCAA had to take that into consideration.

What this does do is make Penn State essentially a MAC team. And we don't mean to insult the MAC. For the sake of perspective, it's not the worst thing that could happen to them. Hopefully, it does give PSU some perspective and a bit of look at life on the other side of the BCS. Considering all that appears to have gone on, that may be a welcome--and needed change.

As much as many would like it to be this way, Football does not run the school. The school runs football, and that got lost somewhere in the shuffle. Yes, we know, the SEC is not too dissimilar to that, but when push comes to shove, the academia's will step in and to our knowledge none conspired to keep criminals close to the team...for the good of the team.

Oh, one thing needs to be said: The Paterno family needs to SHUT UP!

Nobody expects you to agree with this, but it is no longer your fight. Would we like to have heard what Joe had to say about the Freeh report and everything else? Yes. But we can't. Do we believe Paterno did what he did maliciously? No. But ignorance and hoping things will go away are not a good excuse. And by all indications, that is exactly what he believed.

The family just needs to walk away. Stop whining. Stop complaining. We know you feel wronged, but you are coming across as just wanting to keep Joe as the record holder. Never do you mention why what happened what was wrong. Never do you mention that there is no way he couldn't have known about Sandusky...but you keep whining.

Now, this decision was not perfect. The NCAA and in particular Mark Emmert avoided the 800-pound gorilla in the room and made no mention of Graham Spanier, Tim Curley or Gary Schultz...and that is a mistake.

A big mistake.

And we know the big argument here: Why punish those who are there now?

The answer is simple: That's the way it works. You may not agree with it, you may not like it, but the NCAA can't punish individuals for things after the fact. Their only recourse is the school. And that means the current players and staff. It just works that way. It's unfortunate, but do you have a better idea?

Spanier, Schultz and Curley will have their day in court. And maybe things will come out to exonerate them. But nobody really believes that. The legal system will take care of them. As will Karma.

Like we said at the beginning, the NCAA didn't get this perfect. But they didn't do badly either. They had to step up and do soemthing. And they knew full well not everybody would agree with it. But consider the alternative. If they sat back and did nothing, they lose even worse.

Spanier Wants To Be Heard, Paterno Family Gets Themselves Heard

And, apparently, he's not a fan of the Freeh Report...

Graham Spanier wrote a letter to the Board of Trustees Sunday obtained by ESPN's "Outside The Lines" program that outlines, in his perspective the idea that he only had limited interaction in the Sandusky investigation and how much he, head coach Joe Paterno, former Athletic Director Tim Curley, and vice president Gary Schultz actually knew in the first place.

After the 2001 incident, Spanier admits that "I never heard a word about abusive or sexual behavior, nor were there any other details presented that would have led me to think along those lines."

Spanier points out, in his defense, that he has undergone background checks and has received top security clearances from the federal government in his new job -- clearance that required a review once the Sandusky matter became public last fall...

And, surprising on one, the Paterno family has released their own statement on the decision today that says, in part:

"The release of the Freeh report has triggered an avalanche of vitriol, condemnation and posthumous punishment on Joe Paterno. The NCAA has now become the latest party to accept the report as the final word on the Sandusky scandal. The sanctions announced by the NCAA today defame the legacy and contributions of a great coach and educator without any input from our family or those who knew him best.

"That the President, the Athletic Director and the Board of Trustees accepted this unprecedented action by the NCAA without requiring a full due process hearing before the Committee on Infractions is an abdication of their responsibilities and a breach of their fiduciary duties to the University and the 500,000 alumni. Punishing past, present and future students of the University because of Sandusky's crimes does not serve justice. This is not a fair or thoughtful action; it is a panicked response to the public's understandable revulsion at what Sandusky did."

More when we know more...

Paterno Negotiated Exit During 2011 Season, World Stunned...(Updated-Halo Removal)

((HT: NYTimes/Becker))

((halo update info at bottom))

So, let's get this straight...

Not that the HQ is shocked, surprised, or stunned...

But, apparently, Joe Paterno was negotiating his own golden parachute in plenty of time just as the grand jury investigation was getting warmed up. Jo Becker has discovered that the 2011 season was set to be Paterno's last and he and his family was to receive $3-million, be forgiven on a $350,000 interest-free loan, garner use of the university's private plane, and watch games from a private box for 25 years at Beaver Stadium.

Some members of the Board of Trustees were privy to the arrangement and, after being "bombarded" (Becker's verb) by hate mail and threatened by a defamation lawsuit, the school BoT caved.

But, according to Becker, the family says it was the other way around:

On Friday, Wick Sollers, a lawyer for Mr. Paterno and his family, said that it was Penn State that last summer proposed the lucrative retirement package, and that many of the aspects of the proposal — use of the plane, the luxury box — had existed in prior contracts.

If this does not confirm that the interview below was a complete and total demonstration of hubris, the HQ doesn't know what is...
((HT: ESPN))


And this one...
((HT: MSNBC.com/"Today" Show))


We could continue... but it's too easy...

And it's also too easy to say that the remodeling of parts of the Lasch Building is a good start. In all reality, it's the analogy of putting lipstick on a pig. The building, if you want to start some kind of cleansing, needs to be torn down for all it symbolizes and stands for on a campus that has a culture of denial and absolute power.

The HQ agrees with Bobby Bowden, among countless others, that the Joe Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium should be torn down and any representation of the Paterno name needs to be removed from any building in Happy Valley. The Board of Trustees needs to be blown up for all of their inactivity, cowering, and manipulation of the system to give the family a parachute and concealing the negotations until recently.

A thought echoed here...
((HT: WHP-TV))


And, despite how incredibly unrealistic and idealistic the idea is, the school needs to stop playing football for a while. If the continued sheltering of a child rapist doesn't symbolize all that was wrong inside the university, the HQ doesn't really know what else ever would...

To think the HQ actually agrees with SAS is just how bad this whole deal is... and that's a lot of screaming we're putting aside for this...
((HT: ESPN))


Penn State played football last post-season because of image preservation- even if it was the bowl game in Dallas... No, not that one... the other one.

The Paterno family has paraded itself shamelessly in front of any camera for the last week because of image preservation. Joe Paterno orchestrated his own exit during a grand jury investigation because of image preservation.

Paterno/Sans halo

For what's left of Penn State to preserve what's left of it's image, it needs to collectively start over- and return to small town ideals that created a Happy Valley in the first place.

And that means, in scientific terms, approaching absolute zero...
And while, yes, it's a very cold place... sometimes that's the only way to start over...

((Update--Michael Pilato, an area artist who had painted a mural in State College with an image of Joe Paterno....has painted over the halo. The halo had been placed there upon Paterno's death. The act comes just 2 days after the release of the Freeh report))

Penn State Rules: Stupid PA law kept truth seekers away

((ht: al tompkins/Poynter institute))

By now the Freeh report on what happened at Penn State regarding the cover-up for former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky has been analyzed, the talking heads have spoken and the experts say. Death to them all.

But they are overlooking something that could have prevented a lot of this.

The lack of Open Records accountability at the school.

Yes, having a "Sunshine Law" or Open Records availability is a tool used by journalists and others. But it is something that is in place to keep places that get public money...like public schools...accountable.

Penn State was not required to make their records public. Nor were 3 other "State Related" institutions. And the 4 schools were and are the only publicly funded things in the state not required to make their records available.

Read more from the knowledgeable Al Tompkins from The Poynter Institute (Journalism Think Tank) RIGHT HERE

So...at this point, you are probably saying "Journalists don't need to know everything". And you are wrong there. But this isn't about Journalists.

This is about the public. Anyone, including you, seeing how a government entity...that you pay for, is conducting their business.

You should have a right to know.

If Penn State had been held to this, most of the records on Sandusky and his accomplices (Yes, Spanier, Curley, Schultz and Paterno could be called that now) or enablers would have been there.
The 1998 investigation, it would have been there. The 2001 McQueary incident, it would have been there. And they would have been found and read.

The article that we linked to quotes Graham Spanier as saying in 2007, that open records only feeds journalists trying to find out how much money Joe Paterno makes and would affect their licensing contracts with Nike and Pepsi.

And the DUMBASS legislators in Pennsylvania bought it. Does Florida hide what they make? No. Does Georgia? No. Ohio State? No.

But it worked.

The moral of the story here is a simple one. And to say THIS would have stopped Sandusky and the cover-up is being a bit too idealistic. But it would have helped. The records would have been available for scrutiny. Someone eventually would have found it.

But we may never know. Shame on Pennsylvania for not being transparent with their use of public money. Shame on Penn State for going "All-Out" to keep things from anyone with an interest. Right or wrong, the public should have a right to know where their money is going, and if you don't buy that, maybe it's time to look at Condo prices in China.

Freeh Investigation Fallout: What's Next for Penn State?

Joe Paterno

This is a topic that is already being hotly debated on Twitter, Message Boards, Sport Talk Radio and on TV. And it's not a simple one; "What's next in the Penn State investigation?"

And there is an extremely wide divergence of opinion.

Exactly as we and oh so many others have been saying since the conviction of former Penn St. assistant Jerry Sandusky, this was...and is going to get worse before it gets better.

As summarized earlier today in the report by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, there were multiple problems with (a) the way Penn State administrators reacted when confronted with this and (b) the way the Penn State Board of Trustees didn't react in regards to the way administrators handled this.

But the question is this: What's next?

1--The NCAA is going to investigate the school. And they should. But the cries for the "Death Penalty" and "Eliminating the Program" won't happen. On several levels you could make the argument it should, but it won't. The Freeh report information painted the Football program and former Head Coach Joe Paterno in a horrible light. Paterno was portrayed as a sort of "Godfather" type figure that nobody had the temerity to cross. And it portrayed the football team as being the "End All, Be All" of the school. It is not.

But the NCAA is somewhat boxed in here. There is no precedent for this in any of their voluminous set of rules. Yes, arguably, this could be construed as "Lack of Institutional Control", but in the technical sense, they didn't violate an NCAA rule. Did they violate the spirit of doing the right thing? Hell yes! At it's core, this is primarily a criminal case and the NCAA is not set up to punish based on that.

Yes, I know they've stuck their collective noses in some places they shouldn't before. But...

Do I think they should get the "Death Penalty?" Yeah, you could make the argument. But it would send a lot of things down a slippery slope, one that you have to be very careful before heading down. It would open up a whole new set of definitions about what is an "NCAA Violation".

2--Will there be charges or lawsuits filed? Hell to the yeah. This opens up pretty much everyone in a role of responsibility to legal charges.

In the case of the administrators, former AD Tim Curley and former VP of Student Affairs Gary Schultz are already being charged with perjuring themselves. This is not going to help that case.

Thus far, former president Graham Spanier has avoided that fate. That will change. He is implicated on several levels here, none of them good. The quote about being humane and the fact he never once asked about the children, that will and should damn him forever.

What we think happened to Paterno is he treated this the way things like molestation and devient behavior were dealt with back in the 40's and 50's. They were swept into a broom closet and they hoped those issues would go away. And that in no way, shape or form justifies Paterno's stubborn ignorance or willingness to do the worst possible thing. 

The family of now deceased coach Joe Paterno needs to be very careful here. They keep harkening to what Paterno did for the program and all the good things he did, which were many. But they have NOTHING to do with this.

Did Paterno admit he should have done more? Yes. But he also lied to a grand jury and again, has been portrayed as the "Godfather", a mafioso style boss of the Happy Valley/Penn State area.

Again, Paterno, nor his family have EVER expressed their sympathies with the victims. And that is the problem here.

3---So what happens next? Curley and Schultz will go on trial. And Spanier, we and many others hope, will be next.

The NCAA will investigate and make a statement that says how appalled and repelled they are by what happened in this case and the way the Football team "Bullied" everyone in town. And they will put the team on Probation. But they won't kill the team.

Penn State will be sued and they will be sued a lot. And they should be. The Paterno family will be sued as well. And they should be.

Lest we forget, Joe Paterno's statue will be taken down. It has to be. For everything he did leading up to this, when presented the chance to do the right thing, he didn't. And sorry, that can't be forgiven. 

It's an odd coincidence that during Jerry Sandusky's trial, his attorney strongly tried to push the case that the "Victims" were conspiring to make money off of the school and others.

They weren't. But they are about to.

This is one of the most horrible episodes in the history of modern human behavior. There is nothing that anyone can say to justify the way Penn State, it's adminstrators, it's board of trustees and Joe Paterno handled this. Nothing.

There are no excuses.

All we can hope for at this point is this opens some eyes and makes people more aware of behaviors such as Sandusky's. It also, we hope, makes ALL PEOPLE realize that we have a responsibility to protect those who can't protect themselves. That should ALWAYS...in EVERY SITUATION be first and foremost. It's just sad and pathetic that it took something like this to reinforce it.

UPDATE: The press conference involving members of the Board of Trustees and the current president of the University was somewhat heated...

Here's some of the exchanges among the media and those who got put in the line of fire...
((HT: MSNBC))

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

In a subsequent interview with Tom Rinaldi on ESPN, Jay Paterno refuted points of the Freeh Report claiming that no one in or around the program thought Jerry Sandusky was a child predator in 2001. Jay Paterno also says his father wishes he knew more so he could have done more. In regard to the 1998 incident, Jay Paterno claims that the depth of his father's knowledge is in dispute and the incident was turned over to law enforcement. In defense of the allegations of 2001, his father reported to the people he was supposed to report to and accepts the criticism that he should have done more. "None of us knew," he said "and we were not the only ones who missed it."

The Freeh Report: Penn St. and Paterno knew...and did nothing

Joe Paterno

It's one of the more anticipated documents released in some time.

At least to those who cover Sports or are interested in the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky case.

Former FBI Director Louis Freeh was charged by the Penn State Board of Trustees to investigate what...well...pretty much everyone involved with Jerry Sandusky, either directly or indirectly knew or didn't know when it came to Sandusky's molestation of young boys.

Here is a summary of what the report says: (it's pretty damning)

--Per a Pre-Report Press Release, Freeh's investigators conducted over 430 interviews and read over 3 million e-mails.

--The school violated The Cleary Act, a Federal Law that requires them to at least investigate reports such as the one's that accused Sandusky.

--Despite the Paterno families complaints, they did cooperate with the investigation, providing many documents and notes.

--The reports Paterno talked administrators into changing plans after the McQueary discovery were true.

--The reports Paterno, former President Graham Spanier, former AD Tim Curley and former VP Gary Schultz purposely didn't report what they knew about Sandusky were true. And they were done to spare the school the negative publicity they believed would go with such reports.

--The 4 DID know about the allegations Sandusky assaulted a boy in 1998 despite their statements otherwise.

((From the report: After being informed of the investigation into Sandusky in 1998 "Schultz is immediately informed of the investigation and notifies Spanier and Curley. Schultz's confidential notes from May 4, 1998 'Behavior at best inappropriate@worst sexual improprieties' and at min-poor judgement. Schultz also notes: Is this the opening of Pandora's box and 'Other children?'".))

((More from report: "Curley notifies Spanier and Curley that he has touched base with Paterno about the incident. Days later, Curley e-mails Schultz 'Anything new in this department? Coach is anxious to know where this stands". Paterno testified to the Grand Jury before his passing saying he knew "Nothing" about any 1998 investigation))

((Still more from report--after the McQueary witness incident: The administrators came up with a plan to start telling people about Sandusky. But--"Curley emails Schultz and Spanier and says he (Curley) has changed his mind about the plan after giving it more thought and talking to Joe (Paterno) yesterday." Curley suggests informing Sandusky they know and offer to help him. If he refuses then they inform 2nd mile and others and to not allow Sandusky access to school faciilities.

((Spanier signs off on it and adds: "This report is acceptable to me The only downside is if the message is not heard and acted upon and then WE become vunerable for not having reported it. But that can be assessed down the road. the approach you outline is humane and a reasonable way to proceed."))

((Going back in time, there is this note by the investigators: "Before 1998, several staff members and football coaches regularly observed Sandusky showering with young boys in the then Lasch building. None of the individuals interviewed by the Special Counsel notified their superiors of this behavior."))

--The Board of Trustees were not made aware of anything regarding Sandusky and the Board is heavily criticized for not "Creating an atmosphere that allowed the School to 'Not be Accountable' to them."

--After the Sarah Ganim reports in March came out, the Board did not demand accountability from Spanier or anyone else at the School.

We're not going to decipher the minutae in all the details of the report. If you would like to read all 267 pages of it, which we recommend, you can do so by going to the Freeh Report Website.

The link is RIGHT HERE

The bottom line here is pretty simple:

Pretty much everyone involved here who could have put a stop to the Monster Sandusky..didn't. This is a colossal failure of responsibility.

Those defending Joe Paterno, Penn State or anyone else being held responsible is wrong. Paterno, whether he realized it or not...broke a Federal Law. He knew. He may not of known details. But he knew. And he didn't do anything. For fear of hurting the School and/or the Football team

And that folks is INEXCUSABLE.

But it is not all on him (Paterno). From Spanier to Schulz to Curley should be jailed. They should be crucified. Because they did wrong. They operated on their own. But it is not all on them. No system was in place to hold them accountable.

We hope, no, we pray the U.S Attorney's office prosecutes these men to the FULLEST extent of the law. They should be. Yeah, we know Paterno passed away, but this should and we hope WILL tarnish his legacy.

When faced with the opportunity to do the right thing he failed. When given the chance to do the right thing Spanier failed. And so did Schultz and Curley.

Yes, the report lays out the discussions they had about reporting this, but NONE OF THEM FOLLOWED THROUGH. They deferred to Paterno and then tried to cover it all up. They put the interests of themselves and Penn State ahead of the children..and felt NO REMORSE over it.

Yes, you can expect Penn State, it's Board of Trustees, the Paterno family and others to be sued civilly, they are exposed to huge liabilities for their sheer and utter ignorance and stupidity for not acting. 

Please read the report, it makes us and a whole lot of other people pretty angry. Penn State and it's Board of Trustees have a lot to ponder...and do. Unfortunately they can't go back in fix their COLOSSAL FAILURE to act, but let's hope they do the right thing now and act like an institute of higher learning that is their for the betterment of all rather than the protection of a few.

Here's the Freeh presser in its entirety
((HT: WHP-TV Harrisburg))

Sandusky trial fallout: More info coming as stories grow apart

Jerry Sandusky

--UPDATED-- The family of former coach Joe Paterno released a statement late Monday afternoon asking that Penn State be completely forthcoming with any e-mails related to this story and that they be given to the Louis Freeh investigation to be in turn released to the public.
 ----------------------------------------------
Interesting.

We felt compelled to tell a story here because we just read through the grand jury testimony of former Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and former V.P Gary Schultz.

And it was a fascinating read.

But first, the explosive report from CNN about e-mail chains between the two men and school president Graham Spanier continue to add to what is a scary and immensely disappointing portrayal of how Penn State didn't react when confronted about possible Sandusky indescretions.

The e-mails, first mentioned a couple of weeks ago, talk about the group deciding after consulting former coach Joe Paterno advised them to be quiet, to do just that.

CNN is expected to release more e-mails this week.

Now...back to the Grand Jury testimony.

OSG Sports read through a large portion of the 276 page testimony of Schultz and Curley at the Dauphin County Courthouse.

You can read the testimony by following the link RIGHT HERE

Without giving away the spoilers, start on about page 173 or so. That's where the attorney's begin talking to Curley about the incident where Mike McQueary found Sandusky in the shower with a young boy.

Curley went to great lengths to say McQueary was very not specific about what he had seen. The part that stands out the is when he describes who decided not to do anything and why.

Curley essentially says it was his decision because he didn't consider it a criminal act. He talked at length about discussing it with Schultz and with Spanier, but they deferred to him. Curley says he confronted Sandusky, but believed his story. He also went to the Second Mile he says, but does not detail the outcome of that conversation.

Curley also speaks of going to Joe Paterno's home to with Schultz to discuss the incident the day after McQueary reported it.

But the scariest part is when Curley was asked if he knew of the 1998 incident Sandusky was involved with. He said he didn't.

However....that differed from Schultz's testimony. Schultz recalled meeting Paterno at his home though he did confirm that the decision on what to do was left to Curley.

Spanier was however consulted as well and signed off on everything.

What is disconcerting is this: Schultz said he was aware of the 1998 incident and in some detail. He was aware of the Police investigation and aware that it was somewhat similar to what the were dealing with in Lasch Hall that McQueary had seen.

And Schultz didn't think the two "Similar" incidents warranted getting police...or investigators involved.

Really?

We highly, highly, highly recommend you read the testimony/link above.

In case you missed it, read the full testimony RIGHT HERE

While none of this confirms "Officially" anything in the reported E-Mails, it does allude to things reported in them. It does not directly implicate Paterno in anything, but it seems to infer he may have known more at the time than he let on. Considering Paterno's penchant for at least acting absent minded about some things, it is very conceivable that he didn't remember a lot of it when he testified too.

And if this proves to be the cover-up that it appears to be; these guys need to end up in the same place Sandusky does.

More Sandusky E-Mails May Lead To Confirmed Cover-Up

((HT: CNN))

Not that the HQ is shocked or anything, but the report below is claiming that Penn State tried to figure out a more "humane" way to figure out a solution where the Jerry Sandusky case was concerned...

And it's something that had been hinted at during the trial and shortly after the verdict.

The 2001 incident involving Mike McQueary's stumbling in on an incident in the Penn State showers is the one where the alleged e-mails came forward involving then-President Graham Spanier, then-VP Gary Schultz, and then-AD Tim Curley who were trying to figure out what the best internal approach could be before notifying authorities...

In said e-mails, according to several reports, not only did Spanier, Curley and Schultz express concern over what was reported, but so did former head coach (now deceased), Joe Paterno.

An e-mail from Curley to Schultz and Spanier is truly damning. It describes conversation the former Athletic Director had with Paterno:  "After giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe yesterday, I am uncomfortable with what we agreed were the next steps. I am having trouble with going to everyone but the person involved. I would be more comfortable meeting with the person and tell them about the information we received and tell them we are aware of the first situation,"

Read more about the findings from YahooSports RIGHT HERE

Here's Soledad O'Brien subbing for AC on AC360


Not that the HQ is surprised by this new revelation-in-development, but the idea that the university has covered up the whole saga should reflect in the NCAA investigation somehow...

Sandusky Verdict: Done but Penn St not out of the woods

Welcome to your new home Jerry

By now if you have a TV or listen to the radio, you know that former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted of multiple crimes against children and will spend the rest of his...and several other lives incarcerated.

And many of you have seen "Summary" stories on your local newscast about it. And they had reaction from the community with people saying "I'm glad this is over" "We can move on now".

Uh...no. It ain't over yet.

While Sandusky's part in all this is, Penn State's is only beginning to come to the forefront. One of the big reasons this happened was the school and many of the administrators reluctance to do anything about him when provided evidence of a problem.

And for the school, it could make things a whole lot worse.

It's already cost former President Graham Spanier his job and former coach Joe Paterno his. Former AD Tim Curley and former VP Gary Schultz are facing charges for not reporting potential abuse. And former FBI Director Louis Freeh is wrapping up a Board of Trustees investigation into how the school handled this.

If some of the evidence that came to light in Sandusky's case carries over, it could get ugly. Reports have already been broadcast that Spanier, Schultz and Curley along with others kept a file on Sandusky. And it included the Mike McQueary incident. According to the report Spanier and Schultz decided it wouldn't be "Humane" to subject Sandusky to an investigation at that time.

Which begs a "HUGE" question: "If they knew about this, how does he keep his access to the school and the school continue to support him and his charity?"

And yes, the NCAA is sniffing around the school too. The common refrain is they are going to look for "Lack of Institutional Control". Yes, we think the school should be punished...and punished hard for this, but ultimately, the NCAA will do nothing. This is a criminal investigation, something not really in their sphere of influence.

Oh...for good measure, there are more victims coming to light. Many of you asked about why Matt Sandusky's revalation at the end of the case wasn't part of the trial. The answer is simple: It didn't need to be.

And yes, investigators are talking to other victims. Really, the only question there is: Is there a need for another trial. The answer is: Probably not. 

So, to keep this relatively short dear reader; just know that there are many more layers left in this. There will be much to report and a lot to talk about. We will do our best to try to ask the questions and offer opinions those in the local media can't.

Power Struggle At Penn State...??? Not Really...

Much like we all think, JoePa wanted everything to go through him when it came to on-campus discipline and notifying the media that everything was fine...

When it really may not have been...

Nothing to see here...

KDKA's Harold Hayes tells the story of Vicky Triponey and her e-mails back and forth from Student Affairs to Athletics and the PSU administration...


Even more revealing was an interview Triponey did with Bob Ley on ESPN's "Outside The Lines" program...
((HT: ESPN))


After the interview with Ley, Triponey was listed as being on "vacation" when it came to her availability to follow up on the statements...

BREAKING: Paterno and Spanier are out ((UPDATED))

It happened. It had to happen.

According to several published reports, Penn State president Graham Spanier has resigned and head football coach Joe Paterno has been ordered to step down in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

WPVI-TV in Philadelphia reports that Assistant Coach Tom Bradley will take over the team for the rest of the season. According to the school's Board of Trustees, Paterno was notified of their decision over the telephone. The board's president, John Surma, the president of U.S Steel who's son played at the school, added "We made a decision based on what we felt was the best long-term interests of the University."

The station is also reporting that Spanier tendered his resignation to the Board of Trustees Wednesday evening.

The question now is the status of Assistant coach Mike McQuerey who was the graduate assistant who reported about Sandusky's behavior in 2002. There is a large outcry he shouldn't be allowed to be on the sidelines either. The Board has not elaborated on McQuery's status.

Adding to the surrealness of the scene is the local reporters who are struggling to grasp why Paterno got fired. The press conference late Wednesday night became somewhat chaotic as some students crashed the event and tried shouting down the Board as they spoke.

This all comes on the heels of another crazy day in State College, PA which included Paterno announcing his retirement at the end of the season and the Federal Government announcing they too would be investigating the entire episode.

This puts an end to one of the longest and storied careers in the history of college sports. Paterno coached at Penn State for 46 years and leaves at the age of 84, disgraced and attached to a scandal that didn't originally initiate with him, but with his lack of follow through, ended up costing him his career.

Students are congregating on the central commons and main building ("Old Main") on campus in an attempt to show their support for Paterno and do their normal amount of cheering and chanting which include a somewhat-ironic chant involving Sandusky and what he can do with himself in an anatomically-impossible manner.

Paterno was quoted as saying: "Right now, I'm not the football coach, and that's something I have to get used to"

The Penn State trustees chose Rodney Erickson as interim president at the school...
Here's the announcement by the Board...
((HT: MyFoxPhilly))

Video: Penn State Board Fires Paterno: MyFoxPHILLY.com

Paterno would release a statement...
“I am disappointed with the Board of Trustees’ decision, but I have to accept it.

A tragedy occurred, and we all have to have patience to let the legal process proceed. I appreciate the outpouring of support but want to emphasize that everyone should remain calm and please respect the university, its property and all that we value.

I have been incredibly blessed to spend my entire career working with people I love. I am grateful beyond words to all of the coaches, players and staff who have been a part of this program. And to all of our fans and supporters, my family and I will be forever in your debt.”

More when we know more...

Paterno Speaks After Spanier Shuts Down Presser

((HT: DailyCollegian))

JoePa poked his head out of his window at home long enough to rial up the faithful after he was prematurely pre-empted from his normal Tuesday presser...

Here's what he got the chance to say at home...
BEAT NEBRASKA!


The HQ is still of a mind to put a fork in a fair percentage of the entire Penn State community after this one...

It's far from over...

BREAKING: Penn St. prez cancels Paterno presser

((ht: pennlive.com))

Joe Paterno

Oh boy. Here we go. Things are heading down that slope.

Penn State University president Graham Spanier has pulled the plug on football coach Joe Paterno's regularly scheduled press conference Tuesday at about 12:30p.m.

According to the awesome Harrisburg Patriot-News, Spanier did not consult Paterno about the decision and did not explain to the massive throng of media in attendance why he cancelled it.

Though we all have our suspicions.

Particularly after Paterno had stated he was looking forward to the opportunity to discuss concerns related to the Jerry Sandusky scandal and Saturday's game against Nebraska, which now promises to be one of the most media attended games in recent memory. Paterno also added that he didn't feel the football players deserved having the conference cancelled.

Read the PennLive.com account of what happened RIGHT HERE

This is not good. And while we get that Paterno has a tendency to not filter what he said, by canceling what could have been a somewhat controlled environment, Spanier has now made this even worse.

The buildup and drama is now going to get worse. Much worse. There will be another 3-plus days of speculation and digging about what happened.

Add that to the game on Saturday, where it will extremely difficult to not make Paterno available...and you have a recipe for disaster. Because we all know full well that every national media outlet who planned on attending today's presser, will be in full-circle mode by the time Saturday's availability happens.

We'll see if the try and pull the same thing then.

Penn St./Sandusky mess...Your morning update

Jerry Sandusky

((ht: pennlive.com))

First of all, we are going to provide you with a couple of links here that we can't possibly encapsulate, but you really need to read.

The Harrisburg Patriot-News came out with a scathing editorial on the response, or lack of it, by Penn State officials in the Jerry Sandusky case.

You can read the editorial on Pennlive.com RIGHT HERE

And let's add this: The folks at the Patriot-News, who have done a fantastic job informing the public on this story has this.

They spoke to the mother's of two of Sandusky's alleged victims. The story, which encapsulates the effects of such a horrific crime, is riveting. And according to one of the mom's. Sandusky essentially admitted what happened to her. One of the early investigations, never moved forward.

Read the incredible story RIGHT HERE

Monday night, Pennsylvania law enforcement authorities came out firing too. State Police commissioner Frank Noonan said "This is not a case about football. It is not a case about universities. It's a case about children who have had their innocence stolen from the and a culture that did nothing to stop it or prevent it from happening to others."


And while football coach Joe Paterno is not legally responsible for anything in this, he is taking fire from almost everyone for not doing more than what he did. He did fulfill his obligation to report it to school administrators, but he didn't follow through. The question Noonan and others have..."What about the moral responsibility?"

What was interesting is that when questioned about the status of the administrators who didn't follow through, State Attorney General Linda Kelly was very direct about what they did wrong. When asked about the schools president Graham Spanier, she wouldn't say anything.

This afternoon should be an interesting test. Joe Paterno has his weekly media availability and there is already talk that Penn State has said he won't take questions about what happened but only game questions.

There is no way that will happen. If Penn State tries it, they will take an even bigger PR hit than they already have.

We will continue to monitor this story and will publish the Paterno press conference later this afternoon.

Here is some video of yesterday's Attorney General Presser from CBS21 in Harrisburg:

Penn State AD and VP step down

Jerry Sandusky

((ht: pennlive.com))

It's only just begun. The drama now swirling around Penn State University after an indictment is released charging  former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky with multiple counts of sexual abuse against young boys has caused two administrators to step away from their jobs.

Athletic Director Tim Curley asked to be put on administrative leave and senior VP of Finance and Business Gary Schultz will return to retirement. Schultz had been in his position on an interim basis though he did work at the school when many of the allegations took place.

Read more on this story from Pennlive.com RIGHT HERE

Both Curley and Schultz are charged with Perjury and failing to report a potential case of sexual abuse. The school's president, Graham Spanier is on recored saying "I have known and worked daily with Tim and Gary for more than 16-years. I have complete confidence in how they handled the allegations about a former university employee."


Spanier may regret those words.

Also on Sunday Penn State head coach Joe Paterno released a statement basically saying he was "Shocked" by the report and that he had no idea about what was going on.

The next step is a press conference by the Attorney General of Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon. Paterno will have his weekly media availability on Tuesday, and that will undoubtedly be heavily attended and Paterno won't be able to avoid the question. Mostly because the story has now been picked up by the national news types and others.

We will continue following this story and update it as the day...and week progresses.

ABC's Good Morning America tried talking to Sandusky at his home on Sunday: