Pa. newspapers: Paterno, PSU prez should resign

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Patriot-News of Harrisburg is calling for the immediate resignation of Penn State President Graham Spanier in a rare, full-page, front-page editorial amid the child sex-abuse case involving a former football coach.

Tuesday's editorial also calls for this to be legendary coach Joe Paterno's last season.

Joe Paterno under fire amid abuse scandal

Both men are under close scrutiny for their responses to an alleged sexual encounter involving former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and a young boy in a locker room shower.

Neither Spanier nor Paterno are charged but athletic director Tim Curley and senior vice president Gary Schultz face charges of perjury and failure to report abuse.

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"There are the obligations we all have to uphold the law. There are then the obligations we all have to do what is right," the board wrote.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review called for Spanier and Paterno to both resign in an editorial Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Penn State administrators cancelled Paterno's weekly news conference in which he was expected to field questions about the scandal.

Paterno's son Scott told The Associated Press on that the decision was made by president Graham Spanier's office. Scott Paterno said his father was disappointed and was prepared to take questions about the scandal as well as the upcoming game against Nebraska.

"It's sickening, shocking. It's very saddening," said Scott, who played for Penn State from 1999-2002 and roomed with Sandusky's son one year. "Hopefully it's not true. And, if it is, man, it's just bad."

[haroldburbank]

media reports so far do not substantiate a coverup which would, if true,
be grounds to charge paterno if he is linked. the case surely reads like a coverup, but paterno and the U have rights too.

i was in child protection. the most troubling thing from the legal side so far is lack of U or paterno posture that they pursued a thorough internal investigation on which to base or not a defensible police complaint. lack of rigorous internal investigation points to a coverup, or maybe acquiescence to one in paterno's case. he had every right to tell the U he would complain to police if the U did not complain. there is no evidence he did this.

the PA child abuse stat of limitations arguments are moot if the PA criminal conspiracy statute applies. paterno should be worried about conspiracy charges if he can remotely be tied to cover up.

he should resign now before a full investigation reveals the full nature of an apparent coverup, on the catholic church model. this would preserve some dignity, but not avoid criminal liability if those facts emerge.

[bikerb54]

MeatheadRulz, your "name" says it all! How dare you call anyone from Pennsylvania backwoods hicks! You aren't funny, your comments prove what an a$$hole you are! I am proud of being from PA. I lived all around the US and came back here because I love it! I support PSU, JoePa, President Spanier and the rest of the university! It was one man that did this atrocity and why didn't the "graduate student" alert the proper authorities right away? He had an obligation to protect anyone that was being abused! He walked away and in that action, turned his back on that young man and his abuser. How about we bring him in and bring charges against him for not stopping the abuse when he saw it happening! He is as guilty as the rest of them so why should he get away without any punishment!

[kabebodama]

This one man didn't do that...he did the next best thing....he ran straight to the "the one who knows all" - JoePa; patriarch, father, coach, grandfather, mentor. Paterno reported it and then let the abuser continue to abuse other children. This isn't just about the grad student or Paterno or the president of the college, it's about the lack of courage, integrity and conviction of grown men to get rid of sexual predator over football. I hope the love of you JoePa brings you comfort, cause it doesn't to the victims or their families.

[koytko]

1st wait till the facts are in,as this is a strange time frame and believe there are others involved. However not suprised as nthis is republican territory and they have been putting it to people for years,as an independent

[cutesmoot]

The police would definately have been called immediately if I had witnessed Sandusky violate that little boy. I believe an ambulance would have been called as well!!

[Salempierce]

Thank you!!

[Salempierce]

Please someone explain to me why that graduate student did not stop the attack when he saw it happening? Why?

[bikerb54]

My point exactly! Why isn't he being found, brought in for questioning and asked why he didn't alert the proper authorities as well?

[lindy512]

Football is a violent sport. We as a society watch men brutally attack each other. What is it about this game? that makes good people think it is ok for young men to receive injuries and concussions for their benefit. The game breeds violence and we should not be surprised that there is preverse behavior by anyone associated with it. We have condoned it.

[bikerb54]

Look, I'm tired of hearing that everything and everyone except the person that did the abuse get the blame. Sandusky is an adult, with a problem! Football didn't cause the abuse, Paterno did report it, but as he didn't actually witness it, it was hear/say. Spanier is the president, but as with Paterno, it is hear/say. I'm not saying it's right, but why wasn't it handled when it occured and not 10-15 years later? Why wasn't it turned over to the proper authorities when it happened? WHY is a question we will all be asking as this all comes out. Now, too many people are blaming the entire university and that's just wrong. It was one man that brought this on, not the students, not the football team or any other athletic program so stop the finger pointing and making these students feel shame! Nittany Lion Fans-Let's support these students and their activities and not blame them! I'm a Penn State die hard fan and I will support the university to the fullest! WE ARE----PENN STATE!!!

[methuselahsighs]

OK, but while we're at it, how about the editor and publisher of the Patriot News step down for failing to know about this before it became public record? Not only is it a strain on credulity to think Joe Paterno didn't know about this, it's a strain on credulity to think the sports reporters at the Patriot News never had a clue. Might as well give those folks Penn State cheerleader uniforms.

[roo7227]

The problem with your analysis is, PSU was obviously trying to sweep this business under the rug for nearly a decade (or perhaps longer than that).. It's hard for a reporter to catch wind of something like this, without the University's cooperation, on some level.. Believe me, reporters don't pass on stories like this..

[gmudzinski]

Now the lawyers for Curley and Schultz are bringing sleaze to a new level. Their reasoning is that "they did what they were required", ( that is report it to their superiors (Spanier)); "The statute of limitations for the crime has passed";" Perjury trap"; "it's a prosecutors charge of last resort", etc, etc... I hate lawyers. To them it's a debate, a public relations contest, a game of technicalities, a personality contest. None of them seems to be interested in what is the truth. Curley and Shultz will ultimately turn on Spanier to help themselves. Spanier is toast. Saint Joe also failed miserably by his inaction. None of these guys seem to have any compassion or concern for the victims. Disgusting. All of them need to go. By the way guys, even if you avoid prison, good luck with the civil suits that you will be fighting for years.

[Forty-Four]

I guess I don't see the part where the President should resign

[jackp32]

If you will read the Grand Jury report, you will discover that the possibility exists that he is a part of the cover up. He certainly failed in many ways to take or order actions that could have brought this matter to the surface.

[Forty-Four]

I sees

[MeatheadRulz]

The whole athletic department needs to resign and then be investigated for the involvement and the cover up for the last decade of debauchery , its sickening. Burn it to the ground, bunch a heathens over at the PSU=pedophile state univ. FAIL!