UNITED STATES
National Survivor Advocates Coalition
There are days when the avalanche is made not of snow but of clay feet.
Such was the day Thursday when Louis Freeh delivered his independent report of the child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State.
The 267 page report was the result of an eight month independent investigation and it was delivered a month to the day that former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of the sexual abuse of children.
In it, Freeh Report our readers will find the top leadership at Penn State: the legendary and nearly god-like Joe Paterno, university president, Graham Spanier, both of whom were fired when the scandal broke, and the two vice presidents who face criminal charges, – all as Freeh describes it “had a callous and shocking disregard for child victims.”
Beyond that, the report says, by their lack of action against Sandusky and by allowing empowered him to abuse children.
The similarities between what happened at Penn State and what happened in the Catholic Church are identical twins.
The report reveals:
◦the desire to avoid bad publicity
◦the failure to make inquiries
◦a president who discouraged dissent and discussion
◦a lack of awareness of child abuse policies and whistleblower policies and protections
◦the decision by Paterno, Spanier, Curley and Schmitz (the two vice presidents) to allow Sandusky to retire, not as a suspected child abuser but as a valued member of Penn State football with continuing ties and continuing access to its facilities
◦a culture of reverence for the football program that is ingrained at all levels of the campus community
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