Jerry Sandusky: New Abuse Reports Doom Second Mile

If Jerry Sandusky’s charity wasn’t already doomed after the initial child sex abuse allegations, it certainly is now.

The Second Mile, a non-profit organization set up by Sandusky in 1977 to help at-risk children in Pennsylvania, is now tainted because many of the victims that the former Penn State defensive coordinator allegedly molested were involved with the charity.

Many of these victims have come forward after Sandusky went on prime-time television to speak with Bob Costas during a segment of NBC News’ "Rock Center."

One of those who bravely spoke out said Sandusky started his abuse in the late 1970s, right around the time he founded The Second Mile.

That haunting interview with Costas is going to be the final nail in the charity’s coffin. There is no way they can recover from a new wave of victims coming forth with connections to the organization.        

The Altoona Mirror found that the organization is currently in the midst of figuring out if their partners and donors will continue with their support.

They say the response is balanced right now and many of them want the programs and services to continue, most likely with a new name and definitely under new leadership.

They should highly reconsider, and many of these partners need to distance themselves from anyone who had any sort of powerful position in the charity. They apparently knew about Sandusky’s inappropriate contact with children and kept it quiet.

Why else would the NPO retain the services of a top legal counsel in Pennsylvania to help guard themselves against implications that could stem from the allegations and their aftermath?

Second Mile CEO Jack Raykovitz resigned this week on the same day of the Sandusky/Costas interview and allegedly knew about Sandusky’s inappropriate relations with underage children since as early as 1998. The foundation could be facing serious legal issues if this is found to be true.

The Second Mile also hired a public relations firm out of New York City that specializes in crisis management.

According to the Altoona Mirror report,

"

Burson-Marsteller has advised parties connected with the Tylenol poisoning, the anthrax letter attack, "mad cow" disease, SARS and avian influenza.

"

Those are some horrific crises and to put Jerry Sandusky’s actions up with them just shows how terrible these allegations really are.

There is no way a charity whose goal is to help children will ever recover from this. It just can’t and shouldn’t happen. They lost control of their institution and do not deserve anyone’s support.