Unhappy Valley: Joe Paterno’s Family Responds to Penn State Penalties and Sanctions over Sandusky Sexual Abuse Crimes … “defamed the legacy and contributions of a great coach and educator”

UNHAPPY VALLEY FOR AT LEAST A DECADE TO FOLLOW … NCAA PUNISHED PENN STATE PAST, [RESENT AND FUTURE.

The family of Joe Paterno responds to the harsh sanctions handed down today by the NCAA in the wake of the heinous and hideous sexual abuse crimes of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Among the penalties were $60 million sanction, four year ban on bowl games, loss of scholarships and most peculiar, Penn State vacating all wins from 1998 through 2011. What is a little trite about this punishment is the fact that I fail to see how this properly punishes PSU and makes it better in the future. Granted, the vacating of wins makes Paterno no longer the winniest division I coach in NCAA history and slots former Florida St coach as the new #1. What a way to become number one. That being said, the NCAA said it did not want to punish current players with their sanctions. Well, what about former ones? So all players that took part in Nittany Lion football from 1998 to 2011 didn’t exist?

I realize the crimes that Sandusky did were beyond comprehension, but there just seems to be a bit of vindictiveness in the vacating of games. I can understand the $60 million fine and the money to go to groups that deal with abused and exploited children. I can understand the bowl ban and the loss of scholarships. I more than understand the steps to create a compliance policy and an independent group to oversee PSU. However, if one is going to go out on a limb and make accusations against anyone, including JoePa, they best get all the information from all parties. Just because there was blood in the water and some one needed to take the fall, does not mean you bypass the process. The family of Joe Paterno released a statement.

“Sexual abuse is reprehensible, especially when it involves children, and no one starting with Joe Paterno condones or minimizes it. The horrific acts committed by Jerry Sandusky shock the conscience of every decent human being. How Sandusky was able to get away with his crimes for so long has yet to be fully understood, despite the claims and assertions of the Freeh Report.

“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.

“The point of due process is to protect against this sort of reflexive action. Joe Paterno was never interviewed by the University or the Freeh Group. His counsel has not been able to interview key witnesses as they are represented by counsel related to ongoing litigation. We have had no access to the records reviewed by the Freeh group. The NCAA never contacted our family or our legal counsel. And the fact that several parties have pending trials that could produce evidence and testimony relevant to this matter has been totally discounted.

“Unfortunately all of these facts have been ignored by the NCAA, the Freeh Group and the University.”

Rush Limbaugh stated it best as to the double-talk coming from NCAA President Emert. How can you sat that you did not want to punish the player that had nothing to do with this scandal when you take away current scholarships, tell them they cannot play in a bowl and forfeit all of Penn States wins from 1998 to 2011. How is this not punishing those that were not responsible?

But when you vacate all of the victories, and then you tell the existing team that they can’t go to a bowl game for four years, and there’s no championship for you, how are you not punishing the people that didn’t have anything to do with it? The $60 million fine is about what they say the Penn State football program generates every year. They’re gonna take that one year of revenue of $60 million and they’re gonna set up basically a charity for abused kids to deal with those who are and to prevent it from ever happening again.

Penn State Removes Famed Joe Paterno Statue Outside the PSU Beaver Stadium in Wake of Sandusky Sex Abuse Convictions

The dominoes continue to fall in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse convictions …

The statue of the iconic football coach, the late Joe Paterno, was taken down Sunday morning outside of Penn State Universities football stadium. The removal of Paterno’s statue was in response to the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse convictions where he was found guilty on 45 counts.  The Joe Paterno statue, weighing more than 900 pounds, was built in 2001 in honor of JoePa’s record setting 324th Division 1 coaching victory and his “contributions to the university.” All gone, a lifetime’s work to help students, Penn St. and the community thanks to a sexual predator and efforts not done to handle the Sandusky matter appropriately.

GONE … JOEPA STATUE REMOVED

The famed statue of Joe Paterno was taken down from outside the Penn State football stadium Sunday, eliminating a key piece of the iconography surrounding the once-sainted football coach accused of burying child sex abuse allegations against a retired assistant.

Workers lifted the 7-foot-tall statue off its base and used a forklift to move it into Beaver Stadium as the 100 to 150 students watching chanted, “We are Penn State.”

The removal of the Paterno statue comes as an aftershock of the Freeh Report following the school’s investigation into the child sex abuse scandal against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Joe Paterno statue removed; however, the library name to remain. Ok, let me see if I understand this, Joe Paterno’s sports contributions are bad, and his academic one’s are good. Hmm, I am not sure if I really agree with this. According to the university president it is all about “symbolism”. Sorry, but its hard to differentiate the two. Do I think it is heinous and incredible wrong for Paterno not to have done more against child predator Sandusky, YES! However, what if Joe Paterno’s name was on Beaver Stadium? Does that mean it get’s removed from the football field, but not the library? Sorry, that makes no sense. You can’t have it both ways. If as some say, Paterno is no hero, well then how is he one for academics?

He said Paterno’s name will remain on the campus library because it “symbolizes the substantial and lasting contributions to the academic life and educational excellence that the Paterno family has made to Penn State University.”

Penn State University president Rodney Erickson announced the decision Sunday morning in the following statement:

“Contrary to its original intention, Coach Paterno’s statue has become a source of division and an obstacle to healing in our university and beyond,” said Erickson in a statement. “For that reason, I have decided that it is in the best interest of our university and public safety to remove the statue and store it in a secure location. I believe that, were it to remain, the statue will be a recurring wound to the multitude of individuals across the nation and beyond who have been the victims of child abuse.”

Joe Paterno Banished to the desert

Trust me, no one is more disappointed in Joe Paterno and I am not a PSU alumni. However, I grew up in the Northeast and in many respects Penn St was our only large college football team, and had friend that attended PSU. I also understand why the statue was removed. That being said, if Paterno has gone from Saint to Satan then it seems like the university is sending a mixed message and splitting the issue. If PSU administrators really believed that Paterno was a distraction and divisive, they would have declared an edict like Ramesses in ‘The Ten Commandments’ to stricken Moses name from all the scrolls, tablets and buildings and banished him to the desert.

It just is mind blowing to me that Sandusky was allowed to have access to PSU facilities and have an office on campus after Paterno was made aware of what Sandusky had done. I just don’t get how Paterno could have been so clueless and jeopardize all the good that he did for Penn State U.

More Trouble for Penn State in Sandusky Child Sex Scandal … Disturbing Emails Show that PSU President Graham Spanier & Others Knew About Shower Incident and Decided to use “Humane” Approach Rather than Call Authorities … Referred to Child Victims as “Guests” (VIDEO)

PSU: Oh what tangled webs we weave, when we practice to deceive … this case is about to blow up on ‘Happy Valley’.

The Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial might be over as the convicted sex offender was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts facing 442 years in prison; however, the tip of this scandalous PSU cover-up iceberg has not even yet to be touched. Alleged emails have arisen that show that Penn State University was involved in a deep cover up on the sexual abuse conducted by Sandusky. This brings back the questions as to when did PSU officials know of Sandusky’s sexual abuse and what did they know? More to the fact, what did they do about it once they knew? The Penn State/Sandusky sex abuse just went from individual sex crimes act to a conspiracy to cover up the crime.

Unlike, the over-egregious prosecutor in the George Zimmerman bond hearing who looked to make a federal case out of Zimmerman and his wife misleading the court as regards to their funds, as if no one has ever perjured themselves on the witness stand … in the case of the PSU sex scandal and the cover up of Sandusky’s heinous and reprehensible acts, these facts go directly to the heart of the case and the crimes committed against the sexually abused children. The Zimmerman prosecutor talked about the code that Zimmerman and his wife used to discuss the Paypal funds. Take a look at the cryptic code that PSU officials were using to reference sexual abuse occurring on their college campus.  Good grief, ousted Penn St President Graham Spanier allegedly acknowledges Penn State could be “vulnerable” for not reporting the incident, “The only downside for us is if the message (to Sandusky) isn’t ‘heard’ and acted upon, and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it.” Oh dear God, they actually referred to the child sex victims as “GUESTS”.

The alleged e-mails among Spanier, Schultz, 62, and former Athletic Director Tim Curley, 57, never mention Sandusky by name, instead referring to him as “the subject” and “the person.” Children that Sandusky brought on campus –some of whom might have been victims — are referred to as “guests.”

From CNN:

With convicted serial child sex abuser Jerry Sandusky behind bars, new questions are surfacing about what Penn State officials knew about a 2001 incident involving the former assistant football coach’s encounter with a boy in the shower — and whether they covered up the incident.

Read more

Police Launch Child Porn Investigation at St Pauls in Chains Roman Catholic Church in Waterbury, CT

As if the Roman Catholic Church has not had enough black eyes when it comes to the sexual abuse of children.

It is being reported by WFSB that State police have launched a child porn investigation at the St. Paul’s in Chains Roman Catholic Church in Waterbury, Connecticut.Authorities have seized a computer from the Rectory as part of the child pornography investigation. Also, Father Dennis Carey has resigned. As reported at Fox News, Norwich Bishop Michael Cote will release a letter to parishioners during masses this weekend announcing that he has received and accepted the resignation of their pastor, Fr. Dennis Carey. So far there have not been any arrests; however, a prompt resignation cannot be a good sign.

WFSB-TV is reporting that state police seized a computer at Rectory of St. Paul in Chains Church as part of an investigation into possible child pornography, and Father Dennis Carey has resigned.

The news report said a computer was seized Thursday at the Waterford church, and Carey resigned, effective immediately. According to the article, a letter to members in the church by Most Reverend Michael Cote, Bishop of Norwich, said, “I have received and accepted the resignation of your pastor, Father Dennis Carey. His resignation is effective immediately.”

Daily Commentary – Monday, June 25, 2012 – Now That Justice Has Been Served in the Jerry Sandusky Case, What’s Next?

• With adopted son Matt being added to the long list of accusers, you have to wonder how many more charges will be filed after Sandusky guilty on 45 counts.

Daily Commentary – Monday, June 25, 2012 Download