Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome back to playing dirty sports Scandals. I'm Jay Harris,
your hosts with the most shocking SIPs ever, Ready to
delve deep into the dark side of sports Today, I've
got unsettling revelations on tap as we continue to explore
the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State. More than any
other narrative in recent times. This unpalatable tale profoundly shook
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the foundations of college football and laid bare the questionable
integrity of those at the sports helm. Got to cleanse
your palette while you still can, because we're diving back
into the thick of it. Last week, we explored how
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Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse of children went unchecked for years,
and how this rightfully led to serious questions about oversight
and more responsibility within Penn State's esteemed football program. All
eyes turned to legendary Nitney Lyons head coach Joe Paterno,
who had built a six decade long legacy on the
cornerstones of hard work, integrity, and honor. What was Joepa's
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fan base to think now, Surely the legendary leader of
men should and could have done more to protect vulnerable
children from his longtime colleague Jerry Sandusky. After two thousand
and two, when graduate assistant Mike mcquery alleged that Jerry
Sandusky raped a ten year old boy in the Penn
State football locker room showers, it seemed like a no
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brainer for the university to take immediate action to ensure
the protection of children on their campus and throughout Happy Valley,
but instead, they decided not to report Jerry to the authorities.
In fact, Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley even personally
assured the Second Mile Charity that the information of the
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shower incident had been internally reviewed and that there was
no finding of wrongdoing by Jerry Sandusky. As a result
of Penn State's gross negligence, Jerry continued to prey on
children throughout the mid two thousands. According to CNN's Crime
Timeline Report, around two thousand and five or two thousand
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and six, Jerry Sandusky befriended a young boy whose subsequent
allegations would form the foundation of a multi year grand
jury investigation. The boy, who has since been identified as
Victim Number one, explained that he'd grown up with his
mother and siblings, but without a father. When he met
Jerry Sandusky at the Second Mile Foundation. It seemed like
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an opportunity for wholesome male guidance, but the dynamic between
Jerry and Victim number one quickly devolved. At first, he
would kiss me on the forehead good night, Victim number
one would testify. Then he is kissing me on the cheek,
then rubbing my back and cracking my back. Ultimately, Victim
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number one told authorities he was compelled by Jerry to
engage in oral sex. I spaced, Victim number one said,
I didn't know what to do. Of course he didn't.
He was just a kid. It was so brave of
him to come forward, and it was also an incredibly
meaningful step for the investigation because it inspired others who
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had been abused by Jerry Sandusky to speak up. Victim
number one's account of Jerry's behavior was soon corroborated by
Joe Miller, a wrestling coach at Central Mountain High School,
where Jerry Sandusky was volunteering. Joe testified that in two
thousand and six or two thousand and seven, he surprised
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Jerry and a boy lying on their sides in physical contact,
face to face on a mat in a cramped weight room.
According to Joe Miller. Jerry jumped to his feet and
explained that the two had had just been working on
wrestling moves. But as the victim in this incident, a
boy named Aaron Fisher later revealed that was far from
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the truth. Jerry had also taken him to sporting events
and given him gifts including golf clubs, a computer, cash,
and clothes. During this period, Jerry Sandusky allegedly performed oral
sex on Aaron more than twenty times and coerced Aaron
to perform oral sex on him once. So consuming was
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the relationship between Jerry and this miner that Aaron's mother,
Don Hennessy, got wise to the situation, ensure that contact
between her son and Jerry was abruptly ended, and reported
the sexual assault to Central Mountain High School in two
thousand and eight, And on November twenty, two thousand and eight,
at last, a school official did something by the book.
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Faced with a shocking abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky from
Aaron Fisher and his mother, Dawn, Central Mountain Principal Karen
Probs promptly called local authorities. However, it's worth noting than
in a twenty thirteen PennLive dot Com article journalist Charles
Thompson wrote that even Principal Probes seemed initially reluctant to
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go after Jerry Sandusky. Behind closed doors. Down Hennessy alleged
that Principal Probes cautioned them to think long and hard
about the complaints they were making, causing her son, Aaron Fisher,
to sob aloud, saying, they don't believe me. They don't
believe me. But the football coach and assistant principal at
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Central Mountain High School, Steve Turketta, did believe Aaron Fisher.
As the appointed go between for Central Mountain High School
students and Jerry Sandusky's the Second Mile charity, Steve had
become increasingly suspicious of Jerry's behavior, and Aaron's allegations confirmed
his worst fears. As reported by pen Live, Steve Turketta
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would later admit to grand jurors that it was not
unusual for him at Jerry Sandusky's request to get students
out of an activity period at the end of the day.
Steve Turketta told the grand jury he knew of several
students who were left alone with Jerry Sandusky, including Aaron Fisher,
and he called Jerry Sandusky very controlling within those relationships.
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Steve Turketta said he witnessed shouting matches between Jerry Sandusky
and some of the Second Mile students because Jerry wanted
more time than the teenagers were willing to give. Steve
Turketta reported the allegations that had been made by Aaron
Fisher against Jerry Sandusky to the Second Mile Charity. Promptly,
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Jack Rakovitz, the president and CEO of the charity at
the time, confronted Jerry Sandusky about the allegations, and on
November twenty fifth, two thousand and eight, Jerry admitted that
he had been accused of something inappropriate by a boy. Mission,
albeit a watered down admission, led to Jerry's immediate removal
from all activities involving children at the organization by Jack Raykovitz. Next,
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Jerry Sandusky lost his clearance from Childline, which is Pennsylvania's
state sex abuse registry and reporting center. At this point,
Jack Rakovitz told Jerry that if he did not resign
from the Second Mile that he would go to the
executive board members and have them do it on his behalf.
This part of Jerry's facade had come to an end.
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By September twenty ten, he was entirely ousted from the
organization he'd founded. Not only that, but his actions and
the actions of the nonprofits leaders forever tarnished the Second Mile,
which would fold by twenty sixteen in the wake of
the scandal. An investigation into The Second Mile by Hungry
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journalist Sarah Gannum at the Harrisburg Patriot News later revealed
a number of dirty players in the mix at the charity.
For example, while the charity was run by the husband
and wife team of Jack Rakovitz and Catherine Genevis, many
of the board members didn't know they were married, and
reported being put off by their closed management style and
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lack of transparency. Even more upsetting and Sarah Gannam's report
was a revelation from Bonnie Marshall, who was Second Miles
development director. She claimed that Jack Raykovitz had been informed
by Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley about allegations against
Jerry Sandusky in two thousand and one, that seven years
prior to Aaron Fischer's abuse allegations. Apparently, Jack's stomach churning
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response to the information from Tim Curley had been to
opt for ignorance. At that point, I didn't particularly want
to know any more, and Tim Curley didn't volunteer anything else.
Jack Raykovitz would later say, imagine running a nonprofit for
children and not caring about an allegation of rape by
your organization's founder. Also damning was journalist Sarah Gannam uncovering
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shocking information about Katherine Jenoviez's equally apathetic response to the allegations. Apparently,
a Children and Youth Services official informed Katherine that she
needed to sever a relationship with Second Mile because of
the situation with Jerry Sandusky. According to multiple sources, Catherine
apparently responded by telling the official that, quote, We've had
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to tell him to back off certain kids before. Really,
and finally, Sarah Gannam exposed some seriously dirty political playing
with financial string pulling by the nonprofit. Governor Tom Corbett,
who was Attorney General during the first couple of years
the Jerry Sandusky investigation, benefited from hundreds of thousands of
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dollars in campaign contributions from Second Mile staff and board members,
both before and after Jerry was under investigation. It had
taken a ridiculously long time for society to finally act,
but After the two year grand jury investigation concluded, on
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November fifth, twenty eleven, Jerry Sandusky was arrested, arraigned in
district court, and faced with twenty one felony counts related
to the sexual abuse of young boys over a fifteen
year period from nineteen ninety four to two thousand and nine. Still,
the Jerry Sandusky circus, while rained in, was far from over.
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Jerry was released on a one hundred thousand dollars unsecured
bond by Judge Leslie Dutchcott despite prosecutor's request for a
five hundred thousand dollars bail and an ankle monitor. Why
was there such a discrepancy between the prosecutor's ask and
Judge dutchcotch determination. Well, while we can only speculate as
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to Judge dutchcotch motivation, we do know that she volunteers
he heared for the Second Mile Charity several times in
two thousand and eight and two thousand and nine. We
also know that her decision immediately raised eyebrows, given how
serious Jerry's alleged crimes were and how many victims were involved.
Christopher Malyos, an attorney with Equitas, part of the Pennsylvania
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Coalition Against Rape told ABC News that the fact that
Jerry Sandusky's bond is unsecured at all is extremely unusual
since we're dealing with pretty serious crimes. Even if the
allegations were just involving one victim, it would be unusual
for a defendant to get unsecured bail, But with multiple
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possible victims and ongoing investigations and out of state investigations,
I'm shocked, Attorney Malyos said. He further expressed to ABC
that in his work in the Philadelphia District Attorney's office,
they were always conscious of ensuring that a defendant who
had a position of authority within the community or financial
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means would not receive preferential treatment. Clearly upset that Jerry
Sandusky was making a fool of the justice system, Attorney
Mallios emphasized, we don't have two courthouses, one for the
rich and one for the poor, or one for white
people and one for black people. Jerry Sandusky's bail just
seems out of proportion for the crimes. On the same
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November fifth, twenty eleven, that Jerry Sandusky's arraignment was challenging
legal norms, fifty seven year old Tim Curley, Penn States
Athletics director, and sixty two year old Gary Schultz, Penn
States Vice president, were forced to face the dawning realization
that their failure to protect children from their former employee
would cost them dearly. Each was charged with one count
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of felony perjury and one count of failure to report
abuse allegations, and rightfully so, because every state in the
US has mandated reporting law. This means that those who
are in a position to protect children, such as people
working in youth serving organizations, have a legally enforceable obligation
to report suspected abuse. At Penn State, Tim Curley and
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Gary Schultz had been confronted by credible eyewitness allegations. The
law clearly required them to report the allegations to either
Child Protective Services or the cops. They did neither. Within
twenty four hours of the charges against Tim and Gary,
both men had resigned to focus on their legal defenses,
even though their crony, Penn State University President Graham Spaniard,
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was swift to issue a statement supporting them, saying Tim
Curley and Gary Schultz operate at the highest levels of honesty, integrity,
and compassion, there was no rolling back their culpability. In fact,
Graham Spaniard himself was forced to resign by the school's
board of trustees on November ninth, twenty eleven, in large
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part because of his public support for Tim Curley and
Gary Schultz. Ultimately, Graham, Tim and Gary would all serve
prison time for their collective role in enabling Jerry Sandusky's
sexual abuse of minors on Penn State's campus. At their
formal sentencing, six years after the initial charges, Senior Judge
John Baccabella would pass judgment saying why no one made
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a phone call to the police is beyond me, while
mister Sandusky was allowed to continue to use the Penn
State facilities is beyond me. What was also beyond everyone
was the illustrious Joe Paterno's alleged role in Jerry Sandusky's crimes.
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The very same day Tim Curley and Gary Shultz resigned
from Penn State, Joe paw issued a public statement reflecting
on the report he'd received from Mike mcquarie back in
two thousand and two about Jerry Sandusky's sexually abusive behavior.
Joe expressed sadness over the out life delegations, but reiterated
that in his view, he had fulfilled his duty by
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reporting the incident promptly to his superior while I did
what I was supposed to do with the one charge
brought to my attention, Joe said, like anyone else involved,
I can't help but be deeply saddened these matters or
alleged to have occurred. Three days after his initial statement,
Joe Palm made a second announcement of his intention to
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retire at the end of the twenty eleven football season,
citing the need for the university to move forward without distractions,
and adding I wish I had done more regarding Jerry
Sandusky's predation. At this point, however, the Penn State Board
of Trustees decided immediate action was necessary, so that night,
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the very same night they dismissed university president Graham Spaniard,
the Board of Trustees dismissed longtime Nitney Lyons head coach
Joe Paterno. Apparently, the dismissal was a deep shock to
Joe and came via a phone call, which was hardly
the mark of deep respect he'd anticipated after so many
years of service. As reported by the BBC, Joe Paterno
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addressed his players in the auditorium of Penn State's football building,
breaking down in tears as he told his team he
was leaving. He said he wanted the team to finish
the season with dignity and determination. The players gave him
a standing ovation when he walked out. The reaction from
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the Penn State community to Joe Paterno's sudden forced departure
was immediate and intense. Students organized demonstrations, some of which
turned into significant civil disturbances. This unrest reflected the strong
support still held for coach Paterno by most of the
student body. Twenty year old Justin Muir, a junior studying
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hotel and restaurant management, told The New York Times, Joe
Paterno's dismissal isn't fair. The board is an embarrassment to
our school and a disservice to the student population. Catherine
Simpson mirror Justin sentiment, telling reporter Nate Shrubber, I'm here
because I just need to be with the rest of
my school right now. This is devastating for us. On
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November twelfth, twenty eleven, the Nitney Lions football team played
its first game in sixty one years without Joe Paterno
at the Helm. It was a poignant moment for Penn State,
particularly as the Nitney lions seventeen to fourteen loss to
Nebraska that day was witnessed by over one hundred and
seven thousand attendees. On November eighteenth, twenty eleven, Rodney Erickson,
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who had been acting as interim president in the wake
of Graham spaniards dismissal, was officially confirmed as Penn State's
new president by the Board of Trustees, But this news
was overshadowed by Scott Paterno, Joe Paterno's son, announcing on
that same day that his father was diagnosed with a
treatable form of lung cancer. Scott shared a hopeful outlook
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from doctors regarding Joepa's cancer, but even so the news
came as yet another upset to the Happy Valley community.
Former Penn State quarterback and now NBC broadcaster Todd Blackledge
told ESPN that in a week or so of many surprises,
this was another one. Joe Paterno's health continued to decline,
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and he would tragically pass away just over two months
later on January twenty second, twenty twelve, His funeral procession
through Penn State attracted thousands. While he officially died from
lung cancer, many of his fans believe he died of
a broken heart, devastated by the scandal, his part in it,
and his ignominious dismissal after so many decades of service
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to Penn State. But are they right? Sports Illustrated reporter
Joe Posnanski spent time with the coaching legend in his
hospital room during the last weeks of his life and
insists this just isn't the case in every life. Joe
Paterno told Joe Posnanski, there have to be some shadows.
Look at me. My life has been filled with sunshine,
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a beautiful and caring wife, five healthy children. I've got
to do what I loved. How many people are that lucky?
I made a lot of mistakes in my life, but
I thought people could see that I tried my best
to do the right things. I tried to do the
right thing with Sandusky too. Mary Kay Perterno, Joe's daughter,
agreed with Joe Posnansky's Sports Illustrated article. My father did
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not have a broken heart. She said. His heart was
too strong. It couldn't be broken. Joe Paterno's passing did, however,
break many hearts at Penn State. Students felt they needed
Joe PA's leadership more than ever, and now he was
gone forever. And n reported the campus grief, writing that
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students braved freezing temperatures to attend the vigil for Joe
Paterno on the lawn of the old main building on
Penn State's campus. They held candles, locked arms, and sung
the school's alma mater to say goodbye. And while Penn
State's administration acknowledged the gaping loss that had been left
in their community since Joe Paterno's departure and then sudden death,
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nothing stopped the Jerry Sandusky scandal's momentum. It had to
be addressed internally as well as in the courts of law,
or the university could never recover. So Penn State commissioned
an independent investigation into what had happened, led by former
FBI director and federal judge Louis Free. The inquiry's purpose
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was to thoroughly investigate allegations of sexual abuse at the university,
some dating as far back as nineteen seventy five. Additionally,
the university's faculty called for a separate, independent probe that
would include an examination of the actions of employees and
board members, as they were concerned Louis Free might feel
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beholden to Penn State's administration for his employment and skew
the findings in some way. The investigation by Louis Free
was extensive, involving over four hundred interviews and the review
of millions of documents related to Penn State's handling of
the Jerry Sandusky allegations. His findings, which came to be
known as the Free Report, were damning and concluded that
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key figures at Penn State, including former head football coach
Joe Paterno, former president Graham Spaniard, former vice president Gary Schultz,
and former athletics director Tim Curley, had failed to take
sufficient action to protect the welfare of children after being
informed of allegations against Jerry Sandusky, for the faculty that
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had been uneasy about Louis Free skewing his findings for
the university's benefit, while let's just say that they needn't
have worried. One of the most significant conclusions of the
Free Report was that these leaders at Penn State had
exhibited a quote total and consistent disregard unquote for the
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victims of Jerry Sandusky's abuse, instead choosing to conceal their
colleagues's devastating activities from the board of Trustees, the university community,
and authorities. The report stated that the actions of Joe Paterno,
Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, and Graham Spaniard were motivated by
a desire to avoid the consequences of bad publicity, which
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could have had a negative impact on the image of
Penn State, its football program and its lucrative financial revenues.
Louis Free further slammed Penn State University's overall culture, which
was described as one where reverence for the football program
led by Joe Paterno had created an environment where allegations
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could be brushed aside in favor of maintaining the status quo.
Needless to say, the release of the Free report had
profound consequences for Penn State. It led to significant changes
in governance and policy. The report's findings also contributed to
a national dialogue about institutional responsibility and the protection of children,
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influencing policies at universities and organizations across the country. But
Confronted by the brutal due diligence of Louis Free's reporting,
Penn State's stunned student body demanded that even greater action
be taken. Gone were the riots in favor of Joepah.
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A wave of students mounted a demand to remove the
bronze statue of Joe Paterno, which stood prominently outside of
the Nidney Lions Beaver Stadium, and Penn State President Rodney
Erickson heard them loud and clear. President Ericson declared Joe
Paterno's statue would be removed because it was a recurring
wound to the multitude of individuals was across the nation
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and beyond who have been the victims of child abuse.
The statue's sculptor, Angelo di Maria, meanwhile, told NBC that
he felt like a part of him was being taken
down with Joepa's sculpture. When things quiet down, if they
do quiet down, I hope they don't remove it permanently
or destroy it. Angelo de Maria said Joe Paterno's legacy
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should not be completely obliterated and thrown out. He was
a good man. It wasn't that he was an evil person.
He made a mistake, but, as the Free Report had uncovered,
Joe Paterno had made a big mistake, exercising terrible judgment
at the expense of innocent children, and so the removal
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of his statue was carried out early on July twenty second,
twenty twelve, a Sunday morning, reflecting both the university's sensitivity
to the issue given Joe Perterno's death just months earlier,
and the desire to avoid yet another public spectacle. The
act was met with mixed reactions across generations of Penn
State students, graduates, faculty, and fans. While most felt it
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was necessary to step towards accountability and healing, others viewed
it as an unjust erasure of Joe Paterno's substantial positive
contribution to the university and Happy Valley community. Naturally, the
statue's removal also sparked broader discussions about how institutions honor
legacy figures who are later found to have been flawed
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or complicit and wrongdoing. How should society strike a balance
between recognizing historical contributions and acknowledging the sometimes terrible consequences
of those actions. This is an ongoing debate with more
complexity than a carrot, orange and pineapple juice blend, and
it's well worth sipping on as you reflect on Jerry
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Sandusky's crimes and countless other scandals throughout history. But the
removal of Joe Paterno's statue, while symbolic, certainly did not
mark the end of this sad chapter for Penn State.
In a sweeping and unprecedented move, the NCAA imposed severe
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sanctions on the university, signaling the gravity with which it
viewed the institution's role in the Jerry Sandusky scandal. On
July twenty third, twenty twelve, the very day after the
statue's removal, the nc DOUAA announced a series of punitive
measures intended to hold the university accountable and serve as
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a deterrent against future institutional failures in collegiate sports. The
penalties included a sixty million dollar fine, which is equivalent
to the entire annual revenue of the Penn State football program.
This substantial sum was earmarked for external programs dedicated to
preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims, ensuring that the
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funds would contribute to rectifying the broader social issues highlighted
by the case. Additionally, the nc DOUBLEA imposed a four
year ban on postseason play for the Nitney Lyons football team.
This sanction crippled the Penn State football program's competitiveness and
appeal for Perhaps the most symbolic of the sanction's levy
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by the nc DOUBLEA was the vacating of all Penn
State football victories from nineteen ninety eight to twenty eleven,
the period during which the worst of Jerry Sandusky's abuses
had occurred and gone unreported by key figures at the university.
By erasing these wins, these wins under Joe Paterno's leadership,
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the NCUBA stripped Jopa of his status as the winning
as coach in major college football history. It was a
powerful message about the impermanence of anyone's legacy when it
is overshadowed by wrongdoing. Following the NCAA's unprecedented sanctions and
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the arrests of faculty and administrators Tim Curley, Gary Schultz,
and Graham Spaniard, Penn State paid out fifty nine point
seven million dollars to settle claims with twenty six victims
of Jerry Sandusky. The federal government got in on the act, too,
imposing a then record additional two point three million dollar
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fine on Penn State for failing to accurately report statistics
surrounding campus crime. Recognizing its great failure, Penn State paid
the fine without contesting it. We cannot undo what has
been done, but we can and must do everything possible
to learn from this and ensure it never happens again
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at Penn State. University President Rodney Rickson stated, and these
weren't idle words. Penn State independently undertook a series of
sweeping changes to ensure better oversight and stricter adherence to
ethical standard. Child protection and ethics training became part of
every Penn State employee's on boarding process as the campus
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aimed to improve its reputation and become a leader in
these critical areas. And importantly, Penn State's actions in the
wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal prompted a nationwide reevaluation
of how institutions handle allegations of sexual abuse, hopefully ensuring
that future generations will be better protected. The NCAA restored
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Penn State's football scholarships in twenty thirteen and reinstated the
Nitneylyons wins from nineteen ninety eight to twenty eleven and
twenty fifteen. These actions were seen by many as an
acknowledgment of the positive steps Penn State had taken towards
rectifying past wrongs, but for others, they stirred debate about
the appropriateness and impact of such nc DOUBLEA sanctions in
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the first place. Michael Bonnie, a lawyer for one of
the victims who testified at Jiry Sanduski's trial, told ESPN
that he does not believe Joe Paterno's victory should be reinstated.
Joe Paterno did a world of good, Attorney Bondy acknowledged,
but he made a huge, huge error in judgment in
helping cover up Jerry Sandusky's pedophilia, and even posthumously. I
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think that has to be recognized. Conversely, others believed that
it was the NCAA that was in the wrong, having
overstepped their organization's authority from the get go. Joe Perterno's
son Jay voiced his frustration on another program I hosted,
Outside the Line, saying, I think there's still a lot
more to explain as to why the reputation of Penn
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State University, and certainly the reputation of an athletics department
that was a model program across the board, why that
was allowed to be sacrificed in the altar of expediency
in the panic of the day. Notably, the retired FBI
profiler Jim Clemente also opined that the harsh conclusions about
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Joe Paterno went too far and that Joe pod did
in fact fulfill his duty in reporting allegations to university
administrators promptly. It is a debate that may never end,
as those who believe the leader of men should have
done much much more spar with those more sympathetic to
Joe Paterno's record of service. So, in the end, consensus
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and closure proved elusive to Penn State University, and to
this day, the stain of Jerry Sandusky's Nitney Lyons tenure
lingers as a reminder of why sports should always be
subordinate to doing the right thing. Meanwhile, Jerry Sandusky himself
did receive closure behind bars, his downfall snowballed as more
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victims came forward. On November thirtyeth twenty eleven, a civil
lawsuit was filed against Jerry the Second Mile nonprofit and
Penn State by an accuser not previously mentioned in the
grand jury report. This victim, identified as John doe A,
released a statement via his attorney, Jeff Anderson, saying I
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never told anybody what Jerry did to me over one
hundred times at all kinds of places until the newspapers
reported the alleged abuse of others. I am hurting and
have been for a long time. On the heels of
John doe A speaking out. Two new alleged victims came forward,
and on December seventh, twenty eleven, the Pennsylvania Attorney General
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charged Jerry Sandusky with additional accounts of abuse. He now
stood accused of more than fifty counts of sexually abusing
ten young boys. At this point, Jerry Sandusky was required
to wear an electronic monitoring device and was barred at
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last from Penn State's campus. He secured his release on
two undred and fifty thousand dollars bail, supported by his wife, Dottie.
Now it's worth noting that Dottie Sandusky herself came under
significant review, as many of her husband's terrible crimes were
committed in their basement while she was upstairs. To this
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very day, she still stands by her man. Perhaps psychology
today sums up Dottie Sandusky best with Stuart Fischoff, PhD's assessment.
Dorothy Sandusky might be a woman of her time, as
some have argued, whose life had meaning and purpose as
a wife and mother. To accept the ugly truths about
her husband would leave her rootless, anomic, even suicidal, because
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she did nothing we know of to stop his predation
and deceit so her mind closed to all the suspicions
and suggestive evidence about the real Jerry Sandusky while she
stayed married to the fiction. Or maybe Dotti eventually saw
it all but hoped that age would quiet Jerry's predatory
beast and returned the man whose charms still stirred her.
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These possibilities have one dreadful thing in common, the emotional
lives of the molested children. They were sacrificed for the
preservation of the Sandusky marriage. But now her marriage is gone,
and dotti Mu's face a very nasty, conscious streaming abyss
that is filled with young boys calling out for her
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courage and compassion, cries that Dorothy Sandusky failed to answer.
In June of twenty twelve, the trial of Jerry Sandusky commenced,
capturing the nation's attention with its harrowing details. The prosecution
called a series of witnesses, primarily the victims themselves, who
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offered detailed and often emotional testimonies about the abuse they
had suffered at Jerry's hands. One of the key moments
in the trial was the testimony of Mike mcquerie, the
former pens Say assistant coach who reported seeing Jerry Sandusky
in the Nitney Lions shower with a young boy in
two thousand and one. Mike McQuary's detailed account added a
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critical dimension to the case because in child abuse cases
there is very rarely anything approaching physical evidence like DNA.
This is because most victims failed to disclose the abuse,
and when victims do disclose, it is very often delayed
by days, weeks, months, or even years, where there simply
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would no longer be any true forensic evidence to gather.
So these sex abuse cases most often come down to
the word of the victim. What made Mike McQuary's testimony
so powerful is that it added to the credibility of
the testimony by Jerry Sandusky's victims. What he had witnessed
was incredibly important for the jury to hear, and incredibly
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rare for prosecutors to have eye witness and high standard.
Accounts of child sexual abuse are vanishingly rare. In classic fashion,
Jerry Sandusky's defense team, led by attorney Joseph Avendola, attempted
to discredit the testimony of the victims and argue that
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the charges were motivated by a potential financial gain from
civil lawsuits. Attorney Avendola also highlighted inconsistencies in the timelines
and details provided by the accusers. However, the overwhelming nature
of the testimonies and the pattern of behavior that emerged
were difficult to counter effectively. You see, each victim corroborated
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the others, which always impacts a jury's view of the evidence.
Think about the Harvey Weinstein case, for example. It might
have been easy, at least from a defense perspective, to
dismiss the rape claim of one woman, but multiple women
not so easy. The same principle applies in child abuse cases.
Throughout the trial, Jerry Sandusky maintained his innocence, disputing all
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allegations of sexual abuse. His defense also brought forward character
witnesses who testified to his reputation and worked with children,
attempting to paint a different picture of their client's character.
Jerry Sandusky did not take the stand in his own defense.
After two weeks of emotional testimony and legal arguments, the
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jury deliberated for about twenty hours over two days, and
on June twenty second, twenty twelve, they reached a verdict.
Jerry Sandusky was found guilty on forty five of the
charges against him. It was a sweeping conviction that included
multiple counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, and
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endangering the welfare of children. On October eighth, twenty twelve,
at six pm Eastern time, Jerry Sandusky released an audio
state but from his holding cell, proclaiming his innocence, which
was released by psucom Radio.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
I'm responding to the worst loss of my life. First,
I looked at myself over and over. I asked why,
Why didn't we have a fair opportunity to prepare for trial.
Why I have so many people suffered as a result
of false allegations. What's a purpose? Maybe it will help others,
some vulnerable children who could be abused might not be
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as a result of all the publicity. That would be nice,
but I'm not sure about it. I would cherish the
opportunity to become a candle for others as they have
been a light for me. They can take away my life,
they can make me out as a monster, they can
treat me as a monster, but they can't take away
my heart. In my heart, I know I did not
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do these alleged disgusting nacts. My wife has been my
only sex partner, and that was after marriage. Our love continues.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
The following day, on October ninth, twenty twelve, Judge John
Cleveland delivered a thirty to sixty year sentence ensuring that
sixty eight year old Jerry Sandusky would be confined to
prison for life. Jerry is currently serving time at Laurel
Highlands State Prison, a minimum security facility in southwestern Pennsylvania.
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Despite numerous appeals for a new trial being denied, Jerry
has persisted with his legal battles. As recently as Wednesday,
June twenty six, twenty twenty four, a new State appeals
court hearing was held for Jerry Sandusky and Harrisburg. Despite
no decision being made at that hearing. Jerry Sandusky's legal
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team remains steadfast. They have indicated that if a new
trial isn't awarded, they will consider escalating the appeal to
the state Supreme Court or even the federal courts. Jerry
Sandusky's council argues that new evidence concerning repressed memory information
has come to light, particularly regarding the accusers who testified
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they were abused by Jerry Sandusky in his twenty twelve trial.
In other words, his victims continue to face the same
kind of questions about their credibility that victims facing court
rooms across the country each and every day. This is
certainly one reason why sexual violence goes unreported in our society.
In what other crime category are victims questioned so viciously
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about whether a crime was even committed? Food for thought,
don't you think? Or in our case, juice for thought. Together,
we've made it through one of the darkest chapters in
sports history. The saga of Jerry Sandusky leaves a bad
taste and serves as a stark reminder of our societal
duty to protect the most vulnerable. It challenges us to question, intervene,
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and act always ensuring that integrity and safety are never Sacrificed,
Join me your host, Jay Harris for next week's brutal
blend right here on Playing Dirty Sports Scandals. Playing Dirty
(41:11):
Sports Scandals is a production of Dan Patrick Productions, Never
Ever Productions, and Workhouse Media from executive producers Dan Patrick,
Paul Anderson, Nick Panela, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Claring. Hosted
by Jay Harris, Written and produced by Jen Brown, Francie Haiks,
Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clare.