Penn State Scandal: Tim Curley and Gary Schultz Do Right Thing by Stepping Down

The child-sex abuse scandal that has grabbed hold of the Penn State football program won't be letting go in the near future, but two key members of the case will no longer be burdening the university with their presence.

According to a report from the Associated Press, Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and administrator Gary Schultz have decided to step down. Both have been charged with perjury and failure to report, and have been widely accused of covering up former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse of young boys.

In a statement, Penn State president Graham Spanier said that Curley requested to be placed on administrative leave so he could have time to deal with his charges.

Schultz, on the other hand, is stepping down and going back into retirement.

Per a release from the Pennsylvania Attorney General, both Curley and Schultz are scheduled to surrender on Monday.

Curley and Schultz have been charged with perjury largely because of their testimonies regarding a 2002 incident involving Sandusky and a young boy in the Penn State football locker room showers. Sandusky is alleged to have engaged in sexual activity with the boy, and Curley and Schultz are alleged to have not acted appropriately when the situation was brought to their attention.

Instead of reporting the incident to the authorities, they chose to handle the matter themselves. They testified that they were never given a clear picture of what had gone on in the showers between Sandusky and the boy.

Regardless of what they knew or didn't know at the time, stepping down is definitely the right move to make for both of them. This is a situation that concerns the entire university, but they are two key players in the case. Penn State has already moved to bar Sandusky from the campus. This latest development ensures that it will no longer have to deal with the distractions that Curley and Schultz would have brought.

It's a small step forward for the university, but a step forward all the same.