Penn State's Joe Paterno to Retire at the End of the Season, by Bridgette P. Lavictoire, Lez Get Real, November 9, 2011

Penn State's Joe Paterno to Retire at the End of the Season

By Bridgette P. Lavictoire
Lez Get Real
November 9, 2011

http://lezgetreal.com/2011/11/penn-states-joe-paterno-to-retire-at-the-end-of-the-season/

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno is set to step down from his job at the end of the season after he was embroiled in one of the worst non-Catholic Church child abuse scandals in recent memory. Paterno has claimed that he knew nothing about the abuse that occurred over fifteen years by Jerry Sandusky, an assistant coach in the Penn State program.

Sandusky is charged with molesting eight boys, including one who was sexually assaulted in the Penn State showers. One of Paterno's assistant coaches caught Sandusky assaulting the child in the showers, reported it to Paterno, who reported it to his superiors, and nothing came of it. As with the Roman Catholic Church, the outrage has been far more in the coverup including why was Sandusky not reported to the police at that point. A ninth victim of Sandusky has come forward.

The Board of Trustees could still force Paterno to leave forthwith, and they may take action against university president Graham Spanier. Paterno has urged the trustees to no longer consider his fate because they have more important matters to address.

Regarding the shower assault, Paterno has stated that "This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

According to the Huffington Post:

Paterno talked to his team for about 10-15 minutes in an auditorium of the football facility on campus. Standing at a podium, he told players he was leaving and broke down in tears.

Players gave him a standing ovation when he walked out.

It is unclear if Paterno did enough. What is known is that after his graduate assistant, Mike McQueary, reported the shower incident to him in 2002, Paterno notified Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz. Both men have now been charged with failing to report the incidents to the authorities. Paterno has not been accused of legal wrongdoing.

Paterno did say in a statement that "I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief. I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today."