The report, by former FBI head Louis Freeh comes out today. Penn State hired Freeh to investigate its handling of the Sandusky sex abuse scandal.
The Paterno family is already in the damage control mode. In a statement released Tuesday, the family complained there were a rush to judgement, and Joe was never given due process before he was fired. You know, they're right.
On the other hand, you have Joe admitting there was more he should have done to stop Sandusky, and this was a man who infuriated the Board of Trustees by cheering at an impromptu pep rally in front of his home-- just was we were learning Sandusky abused a lot of kids, and some on PSU property. Paterno's lack of judgement and insensitivity were stunning. He might not have received due process, but he gave the BOT reasons to fire him, on a silver platter. At a time when PSU needed responsible leadership, Joe Paterno went in the other direction.
There is no doubt a lot of people will be unhappy by today's Freeh report. There are those who will think it didn't go far enough. There will be those who will believe they didn't get a fair shake. Governor Tom Corbett was Attorney General when a lot of this happened, and I can't see any way he escapes scrutiny here.
As always, blog posts hit the internet at midnight. I'll be back later in the day with my thoughts on the Freeh report.
>>>9:45 AM UPDATE: Just when you thought the Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal couldn't get any more disgusting...
The Freeh Report shows Spanier, Curley, Schultz, and Paterno knew what Sandusky was doing. They had 14 years to stop it, and they did NOTHING!
It shows those four cared more about the school, the football program, themselves, and their pal Jerry Sandusky than the kids. It will take a long, long time before this shame is washed away-- if ever.
Joe Paterno defended HIS football program to the very end, and there lies the problem. Football is more important than anything else at PSU. Paterno tried to distance the program from the Sandusky case in a note written shortly before his death. You cannot separate Paterno from football at Penn State, so therefore the Sandusky scandal is also a football scandal.
Paterno lovers will have to realize their man had some serious flaws.
