Penn State Football: Could Joe Paterno Have Done More?

The grand jury presentment on the Jerry Sandusky investigation is damning, to say it bluntly. The fallout from the dirty deeds by the longtime Joe Paterno assistant is nothing short of hideous and gravely disturbing. As a result, Joe Paterno has become a large target of the media for his involvement in the sexual abuse of a child performed by Sandusky.

If you care to read through the entire 23-page document, be warned that it is explicit and extremely graphic. However, if you are curious just how much of a role Paterno has played in this, the head coach's name is mentioned in eight sentences.

The first mention comes in a report from a graduate assistant, who has since been reported to be wide receivers coach Mike McQueary, allegedly discovered Sandusky with a boy approximately ten years old in the showers in the Lasch Football Building.

"The graduate assistant and his father decided that the graduate assistant had to promptly report what he had seen to Coach Joe Paterno ("Paterno") and went to Paterno's home, where he reported what he had seen. Joseph V. Paterno testified to receiving the graduate assistant's report at his home on a Saturday morning. Paterno testified that the graduate assistant was very upset. Paterno called Tim Curley ("Curley"), Penn State Athletic Director and Paterno's immediate superior, to his home the very next day, a Sunday, and reported to him that the graduate assistant had seen Jerry Sandusky in the Lasch Football Building showers fondling or doing something of a sexual nature to a young boy."

According to the state, Paterno reported the incident in question as the law requires. He informed his supervisor of the situation without much of a delay. Curley and Gary Schultz, Senior Vice President for Finance and Business held a meeting with McQueary a week and a half later, where the graduate assistant reported what he had seen. McQueary was told the case would be investigated and further action would be decided on. As the report states, "Paterno was not present in this meeting."

Paterno was involved in an earlier meeting with Schultz and Curley, in which the state says "Paterno reported "disturbing" and "inappropriate" conduct in the shower by Sandusky upon a young boy, as reported to him by a student or graduate assistant." Curley later denied having this incident reported by Paterno or the graduate assistant, which is why he is being charged with perjury by the state. Curley is expected to turn himself in Monday.

Paterno's name is mentioned one more time in the presentment, on page 11, when Schultz says that Sandusky retired after "Paterno felt it was time to make a coaching change," which was in 1999.

As far as the state is concerned, that is the last tie Paterno has to Sandusky and the alleged sexual abuse. Sandusky was granted access to campus facilities, including football buildings, by the university as part of his retirement negotiations and settlements. This has nothing to do with Paterno, who would not have been privy to these kinds of decisions.

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