The recent scandal going on at Penn State University is truly a tragedy. What is more tragic is that many of the incidents involving Sandusky could have been prevented if the school would have held the importance of child safety over the University’s reputation.
Jerry Sandusky had played for Joe Paterno at Penn State and coached there for about thirty years. Thus, Jerry Sandusky had a good reputation and held a lot of power at the University. It is this power that enabled him to get away with abusing young boys numerous times even after getting caught.
In 2002 Sandusky was caught anally raping a ten year old boy by the assistant coach, Mike McQueary. After word of this incident reached the athletic director and the school president, Sandusky was ordered not to bring any other boys on campus. There was no punishment given to Jerry Sandusky. The school officials were trying to keep the crime committed by Sandusky out of the media to save the school's image. This lack of enforcement goes to show the amount of power and prestige that Sandusky had at the school, ultimately allowing him to commit devious acts and get away with it.
Personally I am disgusted by Sandusky, like most people are. However, the people who knew about this crime(school president, athletic director, Joe Paterno) and continued to go about their lives as if nothing happened deserve to be punished as well. Joe Paterno’s legacy will not only be tainted, I think it is ruined. Many young boys could have been saved from Sandusky if the few people who knew about this incident would have done the right thing and turned Jerry Sandusky in.
Alex Wright
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