Rush to Condemn

        What  ever happened to reflective, reasoned, good judgement?  One of the tragic spinoffs of the information age is the public's rush to instantly indict an entire institution or group based on the bad behavior of one or several  members.  The latest casualty is Penn State University.  As a military retiree and 20 year high school teacher I've seen it before, and it is usually similar in nature.  In the military it would not be unheard of for a group of seniors to protect a fellow member of the "boys club" even if his incompetence led to major shortcomings.  In education at every level, most of us academic instructors have, at one time or another,  seen coaches and/or administrators close ranks around another member of the jock fraternity, even if he needed assistance to tie his (or her) own shoes.

         Like many, I admired Joe Paterno  by reputation and, by extension, his football program and Penn State  University. The recent Freeh report makes it fairly clear, in their own words, that a relatively small group of men were unwilling to believe that "a coach, for God's sake" should be held accountable like any other person entrusted with the welfare of youngsters. The statement  regarding " looking for a more humane solution"  to the Sandusky problem makes it seem that the top men in the institution were blissfully unaware of Pennsylvania public law, which then and now, as any Pennsylvania certified teacher knows requires instant reporting to the state. Not maybe, not perhaps, but absolutely. As a grad assistant, Mike McQuarry might not be expected to know this, but the Head Coach certainly was.  Their (lack of) actions, especially including  Paterno's  were heinous, despicable, and totally in keeping with the cover  your butt, protect football at all costs mentality which is prevalent in many institutions today.

        I write all the above to make two points.  First, the public  now, is painting all of PSU with the same brush they properly are using to tar and feather Jerry Sandusky,  three or four administrators and Paterno. The teaching faculty, student body and student athletes  are  blameless here. To tarnish them all is as inappropriate as the actions I outlined above. Penn State is,  has been, and will always be a quality University, and the crimes of four persons should never be allowed to wipe that away from the public eye.  Second, ask yourself if a female  administrator would have perhaps had a different take on what actions were proper when dealing with a pedophile in their midst.  "Humane solution?"  - not for the molested children.  Let the lawsuits begin!