I AM…(not) Joe Paterno
Friday, November 11th, 2011I AM… a living legend with extraordinary influence over all things Penn State. I have more than a dozen grandchildren. Doing what is “legally required”– passing the information up the food chain– is simply not enough.
Whether I am initially told there was “inappropriate behavior” between a naked ex-coach & a naked boy in a shower, in a football building on campus, or provided more sordid details, I am probing for more, documenting it all.
I am personally delivering those details to authorities so they may flush out allegations. Following up on the investigation. Reaching out to the victim’s family, trying in some small way to help ease the pain.
I know the perpetrator will have his day in court, but it is incumbent upon me to do my best to ensure no child is sexually abused again on my watch. And, in part because I’m physically repulsed by the thought of such an atrocity, and in part, because I want to protect my personal and professional legacy and the by-and-large unsullied reputation of my football program, I am retaining legal counsel to ensure I can thoroughly and expeditiously distance myself from this horrid situation.
But, sadly, I am… not… Joe Paterno. Perhaps time will help us understand more.
For now… and for the sake of the victims, I wish I were.