know all the facts before a right or wrong can be determined. For instance, if he reported it to the AD and knew the AD didn't take it to the police he is guilty. If he was sure the AD reported it to the police he should be fine.

However, if he reported to the AD and said, "Well I'm a coach and that's all I need to do, not my business,  that's not good enough.  The incedent happened on campus, he is a member of staff, he has to make sure the incident is handled.

His job is after all:

1. Making sure students are safe.
2. coaching.

          Not

1. Coaching
2. Fuck everything else.

1000s of Penn St. students rally in his support.


Joe's guilty because he didn't call the cops ??????   It wasn't his place to call the cops. Everybody seems to forget there is a chain of command in any workplace. Joe reported it to his boss, the AD.  

IMHO leave this good person out of it and don't let some sick fuck bring down a living legend.

This defense of Joe Paterno is absolutely crazy!

Let me preface my remarks by saying that before this incident, I held Joe Paterno in the highest esteem. He was one of my idols as I grew up.

That being said, I don't see how the way he handled this situation can be viewed as anything but a travesty. The same goes for all of the adults that knew of the 2002 shower incident - Mike McCreary, McCreary's father, AD Tim Curley, VP Gary Shultz, President Graham Spanier and Paterno. How can all of these people hear what McCreary witnessed and do nothing?! No report to higher authorities?! How can McCreary not intervene as the incident was happening?! All of those listed above and anyone else who knew bare responsibility for any crimes Jerry Sandusky committed afterward.

Paterno himself said in the statement he issued today that he "wished he had done more" in this case. He knows how horrible the decisions he and all involved made were. Spanier and McCreary should be fired and I'm certain they will be. I wish Paterno would do the right thing and step down...immediately.

Nothing that happens on the gridiron will make this go away.

So JoePa's retiring at the end of the season.  I would love nothing better than for the team to rally around JoePa and kick butt the rest of the season!  No easy task as they've got Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin to wrap up the regular season, then, hopefully, the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game.  

Indeed, a trip to the Rose Bowl would be a fitting end to an incredible tenure in Happy Valley.  This could be a devastating blow to the future of the PSU program.  I hope not, but I've no earthly clue who will succeed the legendary JoePa!  

Typical of the anal media, they're jumping all over JoePa, because of who he is and the attention their ill-informed comments will get.  JoePa was fooled by Sandusky.  As Bronko stated, he did what he was supposed to do...report it to his boss.  

I'm just so deeply saddened that a true legend in the World of Collegiate Athletics is be railroaded out the door and a man truly deserving of an honorable legacy will be tarnished thru no fault of his own!

It sucks!!!

I completely agree-I am a Penn State Alumni and Joe Pa took over while I was at the University-Also-I am fairly certain that if you are ordered to tesatify to a grand jury you must agree to not talk about the testimony, etc...I would suggest that this has been under investigation for more than the 3 + year cited and that if that is the case-he abd everyone else was to not discuss it with anyone.  I think the current University President thru everyone under the bus to save his own ass !  And that remains to be seen-if they are going to "Cut" Joe then "El Presidenta" needs to Go" !

At the same time-given the media slant on this terrible incident Joe has no reasonable alternative but to go and if he hadn't-the university Trustees would cut him anyway-so in some respects he  does get to leave under his own terms.

Joe didn't do this terrible act-when he was made aware of it-he reported it to his superior-and it is interesting to note that Sandusky had an incident investigated in 98 and "retired" in 99' and he had turned down the head job at Maryland at one time-so eventually all or most will come out.

"We Are Penn State"!!

The trustees announced that he is out immediately.

Yes, Jo Paterno fulfilled his "legal obligation" by reporting the alleged criminal act to his boss. But I disagree that Paterno did not have moral obligation to take further action. This was a heinous and vile act against a child. Merely telling your boss, and then expecting them to act on what you told them, while you now sit back and do nothing more, is frankly is not enough.

As someone who himself is entrusted with protecting and leading a hundred children each year (i.e. his  Penn State football players), Paterno should have grapsed the gravity of the situation. He needed to go to the police and make sure Sandusky never ever ever touched a child inappropriately again.  

I am not suggesting Paterno be held in any way criminally liable for his actions (or lack there of). But I believe he had a moral obligation to act. As such, I think his resignation is appropriate.

skin crawl-It's a tragedy that Joe is going to go down with this on his record but he is not blameless-this is certainly a correlation to the Catholic Church's sweeping the abuse of altar boys under the rug-to those is charge  the preservation of the institution trumps the abuse of the individual-effin sad that a man who has done so much good will be remembered for this sad affair-

I read the indictment and fully agree that it was a terrible cover up and those men fully knew what was going on and did nothing to stop it.  Disgraceful that he not only had one victim but because of these men he had 8...that we know of!  How many others are there?  How could anyone SEE a grown man having anal sex with a child and do nothing?  I would have killed the guy. Although he reported it he is no better as he did nothing to stop it right then and there.

These men were leaders and were supposed to look after the well being of children....utterly disgusting!

online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/Presentment.pdf

Read the indictment and come to your own conclusion. It is horrific. Joe was (is) the "top dog" at Penn despite his superiors. There were many that were aware of what was going on for a long time including Joe. I used to have the utmost respect for Joe Pa and his legendary career. But after reading who knew what and when and for how long I can no longer respect the man. He may not have broken the law but he definitely broke the moral compass. Sad and I feel for the victims. I suppose I should have said "allegedly". Read it.

Theft at work is one thing...nobody is suffering nearly the harm these children did. If anyone suspects anything like this is going on, no matter where you are, you have to inform authorities. Let them investigate the situation. In this case, some actually saw a rape in progress! That is extremely rare. The officials were required by law to act. When it comes to sexual abuse of children, there is no "chain of command". Anyone has a duty to report this. What is the point of reporting it up the chain? Damage control for the school? How did that work out for them?

I suspected wrong-doing I be fired, unless of course someone was in immediate danger.

Many years ago, I once suspected a Superintendent of major theft at work. I did not have all the facts. I went to my boss the Vice-President of the company. He then talked to the CEO. We then decided to hire a private investigator. Once my boss got the facts we asked the Superintendent to show up at the Regional Office. We then asked him to give up his phone, truck, etc. and had a off-duty armed police officer escort him and a Limo drive him home. We didn't want him, his wife anything associated with him near us. The owner of the company who was then retired personally called the police.

I left many details out. In other words just like you said, there is a chain of command. I don't have all the facts on  Joe Paterno. I feel for the kids who were abused by that son-of bitch. But calling the Coach at home and telling him he is relieved of duties, is just wrong. Don't people know how to be man? When you accuse a man you face him straight in the eye.

-- Modified on 11/9/2011 11:43:40 PM

this guy Sandusky should be in the electric chair or given lethal injection for what he did to the boys.

As far as Joe P is concerned he admitted himself he wished he'd done more to stop Sandusky, individuals who blame Joe for Sandusky's sick actions are idiots and I don't particularly like how penn st handle the the firing of Joe.

Joe made a mistake if he knew of a crime taking place, yes its his moral obligation to stop a crime, for example if I see a bank robbery taking place its my moral obligation not to allow it.

Sandusky and the Grad student that witness the incident, in my book are pathetic individuals too bad Joe had to take the fall for something someone else did.

I can't believe stopping the rape of a 10-year old boy is equated to stopping a bank robbery. Not one person would care whether or not anyone stopped a bank robbery. As a matter of fact, you should stay out of it for your own safety. I would hope that I wouldn't shrink from putting myself at risk to save a small boy from a depraved monster. Paterno knows that even though he couldn't have stopped the crime that was reported to him, he should have taken strong action to stop any possible crimes Sandusky might have committed in the future. Sandusky was still hanging around the football program with young boys long after McCreary reported what he saw! How was that allowed to happen?! How could anyone stand for it?!

A grad student witnessed the incident and immediately called his dad.

WTF, grad students are 23 - 25 yrs old. Why didn't he stop it? Why didn't he call the police. Why didn't his father tell him to call the police? Why didn't the father call the police?

Instead, the next day he goes to Joe P. and tells him. The next day mind you. Who are they trying to protect, the kid, the school, the fucking football program. Well not the kid, no one ever tried to determine who the kid was for 8 1/2 years.

So old Joe P. summons his AD to his house and says his grad student saw something. Now these two geniuses call the police, NO, they fumble the ball, cover each other back and moved on to recruiting or game day play selection.  After all they didn't know they were required by law to call the police.

8 1/2 years go by. Do you think old Joe P. ever wondered what ever happened about that incident. Nah, he was a icon, a football god. No need to worry about small stuff. If it really happened it was just one little boy. Kid probably wouldn't make a football player when he grows up anyway.  

And even though I'm only 165 lbs soak and wet and I can't fight at all, but I wouldn't shrink from putting my self at risk If I have the opportunity to save someone from a crime especially a kid.

McCreary is a coward plain and simple from him to see what he saw and to walk away is inexcusable. Too many people dropped the ball at penn st and I see most of the blame being pointed at Joe Pa which is not right.

It makes me sick to think that some people on this thread actually think that Football is more important than children being molested or worse raped! Then you justify it by saying Joe Pa notified his chain of command, but if I were to ask you who is the top dog of Penn State? your answer is Joe Pa.  When those victims have their day in court, testimony is being said or read, take a look at all your Penn State hero's, their faces wont be looking ahead but their faces will be hung to their chests. Some will make plea bargains or deals. I too always thought Joe Pa was a decent guy, stood for right vs wrong. Now I see he just stood in the corner!
   Now i see Penn State is already losing football recruits, imagine that as a parent of a football star, do you feel comfortable sending your son to Penn State now? In the end, victims will get paid, criminals will be put in prison, Penn State's reputation will be tarnished, but everyone will never forget... who what where when and why the winningest coach in college football had to step down