Jerry Sandusky Scandal: 5 Key Figures in the Penn State Scandal

Former athletic director Tim Curley is one of two Penn State officials who has been charged with perjury
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This week, Penn State University has been rocked by a sexual abuse scandal surrounding former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, and the alleged cover-up that followed.

The school and the community are shocked, angered and saddened by the failure of university officials to alert authorities about reports they received concerning alleged sexual assaults that Sandusky committed on young boys at the school’s football facilities.

The story quickly become national front-page news after legendary head coach Joe Paterno, one of the most iconic figures in college football history, was fired Wednesday night.

Paterno has been the main focus of the story so far, but he’s not the only one who deserves blame for failing to do more about the horrific actions conducted by Sandusky.

Aside from the alleged perpetrator himself, here’s a look at the five biggest scapegoats involved in the Sandusky scandal.

Joe Paterno

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Many were shocked to hear about the inexcusable inaction of Joe Paterno, who had reportedly known about Jerry Sandusky’s run-ins with children, yet still let the former assistant use the football facilities all the way up until he was arrested last weekend.

Although he informed his superiors about a 2002 incident involving Sandusky and a young boy in the showers at the football facilities, many felt the coach should have done more to stop Sandusky’s reign of terror as soon as he learned about it.

The fact that Paterno did nothing more than tell his higher-ups is what ultimately cost him his job and now it will forever tarnish his legacy.

Tim Curley

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Tim Curley has stepped down from his position as Penn State athletic director and is currently on paid administrative leave after being indicted on perjury charges this past week, stemming from allegations that he tried to cover up the incidents surrounding Sandusky.

Many are outraged that Curley is still being paid by the school, since both president Graham Spanier and head coach Joe Paterno have been fired.

Curley has been the athletic director at Penn State since 1993.

Gary Schultz

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Like Curley, Schultz has also been charged with perjury, stemming from allegations that he was a part of the cover up of the Jerry Sandusky incident.

Unlike Curley, he has stepped down from his position as vice president for finance and business and gone back into retirement.

Schultz is a graduate of Penn State and has worked at the University since 1971.

The plaque bearing his name on the Child Care Center that was dedicated in his honor has been removed, but the university has said it's unclear if it was an act of vandalism or not.

(http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/c347074fdde74d3cb7cf4f972ace3c85/PA--Penn-St-Abuse-Schultz/)

Mike McQueary

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Mike McQueary is the former graduate assistant who informed coach Joe Paterno about witnessing Jerry Sandusky allegedly sexually assaulting a young boy in the showers at the Penn State football facilities back in 2002.

McQueary held the position of recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach before the scandal broke.

Many have questioned why McQueary never stopped the assault he witnessed, and why he never told law enforcement.

He has now been put on paid administrative leave.

(http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2011/11/penn-states-mike-mcqueary-placed-on-administrative-leave/1)

Graham Spanier

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Graham Spanier is the former Penn State president who was fired by the school’s board of trustees after making a statement in which he gave his unconditional support to Tim Curley and Gary Schultz.

A petition was soon started to fire Spanier, and a few days later, the board of trustees announced his termination.