Penn State Sex Scandal: Hearing on Case Postponed Until December

According to The Patriot-News, Penn State former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky's hearing on child sex charges has reportedly been delayed until Dec. 7, and it will only extend a national story that has many in uproar.

Sandusky, whose hearing was originally scheduled for Wednesday, was charged with 40 counts of sex crimes related to boys on Saturday. Eight boys have come forth and made allegations. Ironically, these same boys were brought into a Sandusky-led program at Penn State that was supposed to help troubled youths.

The delaying of the hearing will only make things worse for PSU, which was considered one of the most prestigious schools before the sex scandal broke. Already a top national story, the delaying of the hearing casts a shadow on Penn State for another month, and you can bet the media will be constantly updating proceedings throughout the month.

The ruling parallels what Penn State has been doing to address the matter: trying to delay the inevitable. Penn State may be in a firestorm right now, but if the university thinks things will settle down moving forward, it has another thing coming. This only extends the coverage and keeps the university under a black cloud for longer.

The best way for Penn State to repair its image is to face the problem head-on, no matter how many heads will roll. Clearing the air quickly and uncovering everything that has been swept under the rug is the only way Penn State can build itself back up. By this time, a 23-page Grand Jury report has revealed enough to appall an entire nation. By denying and delaying, it only compounds the problem.

The allegations against Sandusky are mind-boggling, including an incident in 2002 in which he allegedly sexually assaulted a 10-year-old boy in one of Penn State's locker room showers.

What has made the story even worse is that several high-ranking members of the Penn State community, including storied head coach Joe Paterno, knew what was going on, but did nothing to stop it while it continued for nine-plus years.

In the "Five Stages of Grief," Penn State is currently in "bargaining" mode, trying to delay death. The sooner the university accepts its reputation has already been tarnished, the better.