Sunday’s Post 11/13/11 – I know my Blog is normally reserved for the subject of Auto, Home and Health Insurance.  Please give me a pass for deviating from the subject of insurance. Sadly; a local Pennsylvania news story has become a nationally reported tragedy.  As a parent,  no a human being – the story disgusts me.  Although over the years I have cringed reading other stories about the same subject.  These recent revelations have gnawed at me for days because of Penn State’s obvious choice of institutional self-preservation over the fragile virtue of children. So much more could have easily been done to help, yet it seems little was because Nittany Lion Football was “just more important.”

Unless you have lived under a rock this last week, you most likely heard about the post Halloween Horror Show playing itself out in Central Pennsylvania at Penn State University.  Former Penn State Football Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested and charged on several counts child molestation. It’s reported another Penn State Assistant Coach Mike McQueary witnessed Sandusky raping a young boy in a Penn State Locker Room Shower years ago.  Not only did he not stop the attack of the child, he failed to report what he saw to law enforcement.  He merely relayed what he saw to his immediate supervisor, Head Football Coach Joe Paterno.  Paterno was fired along with the University President, Graham Spanier, Athletic Director Tim Curley and Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Gary Schultz. McQueary and others have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Sadly; this is not the first time a naked Sandusky was witnessed forcing himself upon a child which later was not reported to law enforcement.  In 1998; while in the same Penn State Locker Room Shower; a PSU Graduate Student witnessed Sandusky sexually abusing a young boy. Yet again, the witness did not intervene in the attack and only reported the crime to Penn State School Officials.  To date, the number of  children whom have come forward to report Sandusky sexually abused them has grown to 8. Sadly, more may come forward based on the amount of children Sandusky had access to over the years.  All these boys met Sandusky through the charity he founded for “at risk children.” Since Penn State Officials learned of Sandusky’s behavior over a decade ago, the University President knew about Sandusky, how many others both in the Football Program and PSU Administration were aware and did nothing?  Based on Mike McQueary’s actions, the behavior did not seem to stop him continuing to associate with Sandusky.  Although McQueary witnessed a young boy being raped, he had no problem associating publicly with Sandusky. Television News reports show McQueary paling around with the rapist while at a golf outing promoted by Sandusky and his Charity. Any reasonable person would realize this Charity was only founded by Sandusky for the sole purpose of providing access to an unlimited pool of children to feed  his deviant behavior.

Although little is known at this time how many Penn State Officials knew about Sandusky, investigations are ongoing.  If  it’s determined there was a conscious effort to keep the Sandusky matter quiet to protect the Penn State Athletic Program; Football at Happy Valley may have seen its last season. The NCAA has punished and suspended a College’s participation for far less.  If Penn State University Officials traded the safety and security of small children to protect its  multi-million dollar sports program – they certainly deserve to lose Football as a draw for student enrollment.

-Mike

Michael E. Dortch
President &  Managing Agent
InsureDirect.com
Corporate Home Office
618 South Broad Street
Lansdale, Pennsylvania  19446
(800) 807-0762  ext. 602