I took a lot of flak two years ago when I asserted my reasonable suspicion that there was a conspiracy among officials at Penn State, including revered Football Coach Joe Paterno, to cover-up for serial rapist Jerry Sandusky.
Recall that Sandusky was the long-time Paterno assistant who these officials knew, or should have known, had sexually molested and anally raped scores of little boys during his tenure at Penn State.
Here, in part, is what I wrote back then that incited so much outrage – not against the alleged coconspirators, but against me:
Sandusky … used a group home he founded for troubled boys as a plucking ground for his pedophile pleasure…
All of the top officials associated with the team/university, most notably 84-year-old Head Coach Joe Paterno … were clearly involved in a conspiracy to cover-up the ongoing sexual abuse of little boys…
[I]nstead of wasting what little moral outrage I can still muster on child sex abusers, I just react by wishing them a fair trial followed by a lifetime in prison having ‘big’ men do to them what they did to little children. And Sandusky will surely get his…
But let me hasten to add that I believe the same fate should befall all of those who knew about this abuse and failed to report it.
(“Penn State’s Catholic Church Problem,” The iPINIONS Journal, November 10, 2011)
Despite the flak, my suspicion remained indignant and resolute – even after Paterno died (or was eaten up by guilt) just months later. And it only intensified after a commissioned report by former FBI Director Louis Freeh effectively affirmed all of my assertions.
I fully expect the three stooges (Spanier, Schultz, and Curley) to join Sandusky in prison where he is currently awaiting sentencing. He was convicted last month on 45 counts of child-sex abuse ranging from terrorizing little boys in his charge to anally raping them repeatedly over many years. He’s facing 60 to 442 years.
Of course Paterno escaped justice in this life when he passed away in January – leaving behind a legacy of nothing but shame, shame, shame. But if there is a God, Paterno must be catching a hell of a lot of heat in the afterlife.
(“Report: Paterno Engaged in Pedophile Cover-up at Penn State,” The iPINIONS Journal, July 12, 2012)
So, with Sandusky serving the rest of his natural life in prison, and Paterno serving eternal life in purgatory, now comes my final vindication:
Penn State’s ex-president and two former top school administrators were ordered Tuesday to stand trial on charges accusing them of a cover-up in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
Prosecutors showed enough evidence during a two-day preliminary hearing to warrant a trial for ex-President Graham Spanier (right), former vice president Gary Schultz (center) and ex-athletic director Tim Curley (left), District Judge William Wenner concluded.
(Associated Press, July 30, 2013)
And trust me, all three would be convicted even if the jury were comprised of die-hard fans of the Nittany Lions. Remember, these are people who thought Paterno was a Christ-like figure and all school administrators, including President Spanier, his disciples.
They would have sworn that none of these pillars of Penn State would even fraternize with a pedophile, let alone cover-up for him. That’s how far those who once condemned my suspicion of their guilt have come to now share it.
Related commentaries:
Penn State’s … problem
Report…
Legacy Note: With over 5,600 posts spanning 20 years, I am easily the most prolific blogger on the most eclectic array of topics on the web. That makes The iPINIONS Journal an unparalleled archive of informed political and cultural commentary. Visit the ARCHIVES section in the sidebar or search by topic. You won’t find a more consistent, independent voice on world affairs.