Paterno Fired?

[PirateLover]

It is interesting that this came to light right after I attended a "mandated reporter" training session on child abuse (I am a teacher in PA). According to the letter of the law in PA, Paterno is off the hook. All he had to do legally speaking was pass the information up the chain of command. For example if I suspect child abuse, or am told of an incident, I am obliged to report it to my principal and then it is up to her to take it further. Unless they can prove a case where there is no doubt he had knowledge of an incident and did not report it, he will not be charged. However, morally speaking, I cannot fathom how he would not continue to investigate this on his own and ask what the result was of the one incident he did report. Additionally, "mandated reporters" are free to contact police or ChildLine on their own if they don't think the higher ups have taken it further (although they are not REQUIRED to take this step).

I agree with all those that say he should not get to finish the season, and I do find it despicable that he did not follow through on the one incident he was notified of. This entire thing makes me sick to my stomach.

[Scar]

I just thought of somethong else. Are they gonna' let him coach his last game at Beaver Stadium and have some sort of farcical and ridiculous (not to mention inappropiate) farewell celebration?

[Ian]

Truthfully, I find what Paterno did at least a bit defensible. There are a lot of assumptions people are making about what he did or didn't do in terms of follow-up, but the truth is no one knows exactly yet what the facts are there. But he did report it to Schultz who is the head of campus security, so in theory he at least reported the incident (which he only heard about secondhand) to the authorities. Now did he or didn't he follow up ... that's another question.

But the guy I can't figure is Mike McQueary. I mean really ... if you witnessed what that guy witnessed how the heck do you just walk away and call your Dad?????? I would have jumped Sandusky and beaten him to a pulp.

[Scar]

... but the truth is no one knows exactly yet what the facts are there.

Facts are for a court of law. Penn State needs to do whats right, and letting him go out on his terms is wrong. He has basically admitted he knew something by saying "I wish I had done more."

[Ian]

Facts are for a court of law. Penn State needs to do whats right, and letting him go out on his terms is wrong. He has basically admitted he knew something by saying "I wish I had done more."

I guess ... I'd like to think, though, that fifty years of giving back to the community, running a clean program, and being an overall pillar of the community should buy you something. Agreed these accusations are heinous, but let's not get carried away and forget that Sandusky is the real monster here.

I have to say it's been sort of annoying to me that Paterno is getting all the attention and Sandusky's name only gets mentioned in passing. I mean he's the real one people should be focusing their anger on.

[PirateLover]

I guess ... I'd like to think, though, that fifty years of giving back to the community, running a clean program, and being an overall pillar of the community should buy you something. Agreed these accusations are heinous, but let's not get carried away and forget that Sandusky is the real monster here.

I have to say it's been sort of annoying to me that Paterno is getting all the attention and Sandusky's name only gets mentioned in passing. I mean he's the real one people should be focusing their anger on.

I don't think people are giving the monster a break, but he's already arrested and out of there now. He will get his. People are outraged at the level of coverup and rightfully so, and Paterno is the face of it. He doesn't deserve to be crucified, but he does deserve some heat. We of course don't know everything.... whether he just turned a blind eye or was really oblivious to all this... I just don't see how the school can move on without removing every element involved in the case, big or small.

I will totally rip on Sandusky. He is a monster of the worst kind. He created a charity for down and out youths and used that pool of poor young men to prey on over a period of 15 years!!! Sick and twisted don't even begin to describe it.

[Nascfan]

No one here is giving Sandusky a pass at all, Ian. This thread is about Paterno, hence the name of it "Paterno Fired?" Mods get on people here all the time about getting off topic so people are keeping to the topic at hand. Paterno and McQueary both need to be fired, as do the administrators who did nothing. Sandusky needs to get all the justice he deserves and then some, including the devil doing to him what he did to those boys, along with many, many other things I can't mention here because I would be kicked off Intercot.

[PirateLover]

And, the Board of Trustees have met. Paterno is officially out, effective immediately.

[BraddyB]

I never thought I would see the day that I would be embarrassed to be a Penn State Alumni.

I am not so much as embarrassed as I am disappointed. Don't know how long it will be before I wear a PSU t-shirt or jersey again.

Everything was handled wrongly, but to call JoePa and tell him he is fired is classless. Give the guy some respect and tell it to his face.

Whats more frustrating is Sandusky is barely mentioned in the news, since its all JoePa.

Icing on the cake is McQueary is still employed as an asst coach. Why didn't he go???

[Hair_Razor]

Truthfully as a Buckeye fan, after seeing our coach get fired for not reporting about some side deals his players were getting, not saying that it's right, it's not. It's just hard to think that they could have not fired him it's ridiculous! This is just way too much to blow over and the more details the worse it gets!

[BraddyB]

Who's next in the Big Ten.........

[Hair_Razor]

Who's next in the Big Ten.........

I mean really? Not to mention we're sucking it up this year! Big 10 is killing me!

[BraddyB]

Lets blame Pryor !!!!!!!

[Ed]

Paterno won't get fired, I do believe he will resign on his own at the end of the season.

Wrong.

How is this guy not yet fired?

He IS fired.

Paterno should not be allowed to finish the season.

He won't.

And, the Board of Trustees have met. Paterno is officially out, effective immediately.

Yes, he is. And so is Graham Spanier, the President of Penn State University.

[kaylamag]

I have mixed feelings about this. I hope the university can get past this. Hopefully now they can go after the the people that are really responsible for the crimes committed. My heart goes out to the victims and their families.

[yjgirl32]

I think everyone is forgetting that SANDUSKY is the one who committed these crimes. Everyone can say Paterno should have done more- but do you know for sure he didn't? He got information about this 2nd hand- how about McCreary who witnessed this- did he do all he could to protect those boys.

[Scar]

Everyone can say Paterno should have done more- but do you know for sure he didn't?

He admitted himself that he should have done more.

I have a lot more to say about why Paterno should be getting this attention, but don't have the time now. I'll be back later.

[princessgirls]

After digesting all of the information...

Penn State acted a day late and a lifetime short for these abused kids.
They swept it under the carpet. Now they will pay millions. They took action WAY WAY WAY too late and let a predator continue to abuse right there on campus for years.

Sandusky WILL have his day in Court and if will hopefully spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Paterno has to live with not going to the authorities for the rest of his life, and he left the almighty Penn State under the worst scandal of the school's glorious history.
I'm glad they fired him. They took some action here, as little as it may be.

The Nittany Lions will continue on, Penn State will continue on, and I pray the victims can do the same.
There are NO winners here!
Julie

[Hair_Razor]

Hers's the truth, if you reported the incident to someone and you didn't see any action taken then you should have reported it to the police! That didn't happen, and I blame the janitor who saw the abuse, McQueary who witnessed as well, and anyone they reported to and stood by and did very little to nothing, including Paterno!

[indytraveler]

My take on this will be a little different so stay with me on this.

Sports locker rooms are like Las Vegas, What happens there stays in there. Whenever somebody reports the goings on in a locker room there usually is some back lash. (see Boston Red Sox)

But the guy I can't figure is Mike McQueary. I mean really ... if you witnessed what that guy witnessed how the heck do you just walk away and call your Dad?????? I would have jumped Sandusky and beaten him to a pulp.

McQueary was a grad asst coach at the time of this incident. He played at PSU and was now starting his profession as a GA coach. He was the unfortunate person to find this event happening. He does what he has been taught over the years keep it internal. He goes to the highest ranking person on staff. Joe Paterno, he reports it and thinks he is done. Here is where it gets a little muddy. Sandusky was McQueary's dad's college roommate and teammate. So his dad probably has spoken kindly about him over the years. He is now morbidly confused as to what to do. That was the easy way out. Tell the coach. The other reasoning behind this, he is smart enough to know what kind of drama this could lead to PSU and extra heat on his mentor, Paterno. This probably would have been brought out as a scandal and Joe Patereno may be asked to step down as coach. Who would hire the kid once it became known in the coaching profession that this GA took down one of the most storied coaches and instituions in college football. A lot to deal with as a 22 yr old kid. He didn't do all he could have, so cut him a little slack, but not much. There still is that moral right and wrong issue we all have to deal with.

My next point goes back to the buddy buddy network that is coaching, and who else really knew. Sandusky was up to be head coach at two different colleges, I can't remember which, but once he was invited back for a 2nd interview some one from PSU had called and messed up both jobs. He got neither. Who has that power to not get another guy a head coaching job?

So along those lines PSU doesn't have a lot of coaching turnover among its assistants. Case in point the new guy, Bradley who will be the interim coach the rest of the season. He has been around around PSU for 35 years! As tight as coaching staffs are, spending 15-20 hrs a day with each other. do you think this coach or these incidents were ever mentioned again?

What happens behind these walls stay behind these walls.

So now the onion will start to get peeled away, layer by layer and who knows when this will end. Paterno already has a criminal lawyer and not a civil lawyer. You don't try wrongful firings with a criminal lawyer. So there may be more we haven't heard yet. So don't be surprised with anymore news coming from PSU. I know I won't be.