How Deep is The Rabbit Hole? - The Second Mile Down
This is a long complicated Fanpost I believe is my most important yet on the Second Mile Sandusky Scandal. I apologize but it will require some time and attention. I hope the conclusions and connections offer a clear conception of why this disaster was pushed on Penn State, and exactly who is culpable (outside of Jerry Sandusky) for the clearly unfair defamation of Penn State University and Joe Paterno. At the end you may have a new slant on the situation with some teeth that might have some traction outside of the Penn State community. It seems the world needs someone to blame - a villain to whom they can point or give the finger and rant and rage against. Maybe we can give them targets that are not Penn State or Paterno. I hope you find this compelling and useful, please bear with me - this is a Second Mile long - your Tennessee friend
DUELING CONSPIRACY THEORIES?
The media frenzy defaming PSU was created from misleading statements by Attorney General Linda Kelly and her Grand Jury Presentment leading to a common belief that Penn State through AD Tim Curley & Sr VP Gary Schultz as "Penn State" conspired to cover up an eyewitness account of sexual assault..People who tend to accept conspiracy theories have Linda Kelly's flawed theory. So. In order to satisfy conspiracy lovers I offer an alternative. First we must agree that a cover up is a conspiracy by definition an agreement by two or more persons to commit a wrongful act.
CONSPIRACY THEORY ONE --- The Penn State cover up conspiracy theory is written in the Victim 2 account in the Grand Jury Presentment and explicitly stated in Attorney General Linda Kelly's Press Release. This conspiracy theory gained maximum exposure and traction in the National Media Frenzy and is widely accepted in the court of public opinion. This video of Linda Kelley' press conference - particularly the statements of Kelly and PA State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan - and part two of that video support thier cover up conspiracy theory. Noonan goes out of his way to make Penn State's culture and climate a villiain in the investigation. Kelly equates Curley and Schultz with Sandusky in her remarks and their "complicity" makes this a conspiracy. Kelly dwells on the unidentified alleged victim 2 and speaks more about Curley and Schultz than she does about Sandusky. These statements by Kelley and Noonan are indefensible and with the Victim 2 section of the presentment were designed to bring down a firestorm of negative public opinion on the Penn State coach and administrators along with the entire Penn State community by association. This was no accident - It was a malicious act of defamation.
There are 8 brave young men who stepped up to lodge complaints against Jerry Sandusky but the Attorney General would have the country believe that Penn State's involvement is "EQUALLY SIGNIFICANT". Penn State is left with no choice but to defend itself and it's reputation against such malicious slander by the highest ranking law enforcement officer in the state and her mentor the Governor. But so far the Board of Trustees and the new President have not only failed to mount a defense, they have capitulated to the Attorney General's misleading claims. Penn State tried to be helpful to underprivileged kids by providing use of facilities to The Second Mile. Penn State raised millions to raise awareness about child abuse. Penn State has been made a villain by the Attorney General over the 2 sections of the Grand Jury Presentment with unidentified victims - victims 2 and 8 - who were allegedly abused on Penn State property.
Conspiracy Theory Two -- A cover up involving The Second Mile and it's board and executive director Jack Raykovitz who seem to have escaped notice or mention in anything issued by the Attorney General or her predecessor who is now Governor Tom Corbett. They are thus implicated in this conspiracy to make Penn State a defendant in the case against Jerry Sandusky in order to distract from shortcomings in the Attorney General's office investigation and the actions of The Second Mile where they got thousands of dollars for their campaigns.
Talking Cover up - the media trumpets the Linda Kelly theory of conspiracy that promotes the idea of a cover up to protect a football program.
- PENN STATE OFFICIALS COVERED UP SEX ABUSE SCANDAL Fox News
- When concern for institutional risk trumps the truth Philly Burbs
- Paterno Put His Penn State Money Above Disclosure of Child Abuse Sf Gate
- Penn State case highlights power of money-making football News Leader
- Is Tennessee covering up its own Sandusky scandal? Knox News
- Inquiry Grew Into Concerns of a Cover-Up the NY Times
Conspiracy Theory ONE involves two respected medical Doctors - John McQueary and Jonathan Dranov along with Head Coach Joe Paterno and PSU represented by President Graham Spanier, Athletic Director Tim Curley, and Sr. Vice-President Gary Schultz. Failure to report to police or child services suspicions from a 45 second locker room visit in March 2002 by a graduate assistant coach Mike McQueary is the issue. The sub text is that these men conspired to cover up a clear specific incident in order to protect a football program. Every crime requires a motive and cover up is the only motive possible here. Is there a need to cover up? So many seem to assume so.
But what would have been the downside for PSU if the 2 good Doctors, Joe Paterno, and the PSU administrators had reported the strange "3 slap & 1 or 2 second glances" suspicion of Mike McQueary to police and child services? How would that have damaged the men who did not believe Mike McQueary's suspicions credible enough to involve police when compared with their view of the Second Mile Charity founder and foster father of six?
1) An investigation like the 1998 investigation could have been initiated.
Claiming that an investigation of Jerry Sandusky might have harmed the football program or the university seems odd given that Sandusky was investigated just 3 years prior to the 2002 incident when he was actually employed by PSU. No harm to PSU came from that investigation did it?
1b) Suppose a police investigation had implicated Sandusky and he had been arrested, tried, and convicted. We can argue about any potential damage that might have done to PSU. I suspect any damage to be minimal if any. Since AD Tim Curley spoke to Sandusky and we have the contention by the defense that this boy has claimed he was not molested - and he has not been identified it seems the available information tends to support another investigation with no charges. But I find it difficult to credit any idea that Curley, Schultz or Spanier would fear investigation or conviction.
2) Did any money change hands?
Some who argue cover up and conspiracy contend a guilty Sandusky would cost PSU money in sports revenues. Would State College residents and other alumni stop buying football tickets or T Shirts because a criminal had been caught who was a former coach? Would TV revenues or donations have suffered from a successful conviction of a predator 4 years removed from PSU employment?
3) Would careers be wrecked or jobs lost?
Would Doctors McQueary and Dranov, Joe Paterno, Curley, Schultz or Spanier have been fired or lost money if a GA's suspicions resulted in the conviction of a former coach? The obvious answer to that is NO.
4) Is there any evidence of collusion, cover up or conspiracy?
Read the testimony of Paterno Curley and Schultz in the Perjury Hearing Transcript page 173 forward is the reading of their Grand Jury Testimony. If you can find any evidence of an attempt by Curley, Schultz, and Paterno trying to get their stories straight about a couple of 10 minute meetings with Mike McQueary in 2002 please post it in the comments. No one asked Mike McQueary to remain silent. They did not draw up a statement for him to sign. No one threatened him with dismissal as a coach. They didn't even record the meeting or take minutes. Take my word for it - the obvious evidence shows no attempt to match testimonies or shape them to avoid any suspicion of a cover up. If anything the rather muddled testimony recollecting a 10 minute meeting in 2002 seemed completely unconsidered, confused, and unrehearsed. If this was a cover up it was completely mismanaged by very intelligent people.
So we have a very insubstantial and debatable motive, no monetary reward, no threat to employment, and good evidence that no collusion took place to support this widely held idea that some cover up conspiracy promoted by the Attorney General existed at Penn State. When you break it down the conspiracy by cover up is plainly ABSURD.
We know the cover up idea was introduced by the Attorney General and her prosecutors. What was LInda Kelly thinking? Why would she equate the actions of Curley and Schultz with Jerry Sandusky like this?
Equally significant, however, is the role that several top Penn State University administrators, Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President of Business and Finance Gary Schultz, played in this matter, allegedly failing to report suspected child abuse and later providing false testimony and false statements to the grand jury
top administration officials at PSU, Curley and Schultz, after receiving a report of the sexual assault from both a graduate assistant and the coach Paterno, not only failed to report the incident, as required by law, but never made any attempt to identify that child.
Equally significant? The sexual molestation of 8 identified alleged victims is equal to the actions of Schultz and Curley who did not consider the report they got from Mike McQueary evidence of a crime or abuse or that their recollections of a 10 minute meeting 9 years in the past were false. This claim is the equivalent of Kelly's Grand Jury Presentment description of Mike McQueary's testimony as "He SAW a boy subjected to anal intercourse" and reported it to Paterno, Curley and Schultz. We know that was not the testimony of Mike McQueary. We also know the second part of the above quote is false. McQueary and Paterno did not inform Curley and Schultz of a sexual assault, and the law in 2002 did not require Paterno, Curley or Schultz to report suspicions.
The 2002 law required that the abused child come directly in contact with a person in his or her professional capacity in order for that person to be considered a mandatory reporter. The law was then amended in 2007 to broaden the reporting requirements
How can the chief law enforcement officer of Pennsylvania be so uninformed of the law. How can she get away with such obvious slander, libel and defamation of Penn State, Curley and Schultz. Were I a Penn State alumni or a resident of Pennsylvania I would be outraged by the Attorney General and the Governor. Kelly's presentment description was a LIE, her press release cover up conspiracy and equivalency was absurd, and her application of the law was incorrect. It's easier to to list what was right about Kelly's statements and theory - NOTHING.
It seems obvious that Attorney General Kelly has a serious ax to grind with Penn State. Why else would she make the Grand Jury Presentment and her Press Release revolve around the weakest unidentified victim case in her file and the suspicions of Mike McQueary who only claimed "inappropriate contact of a sexual nature" based on 3 slap and 2 second glances"?
So on to Conspiracy theory TWO: Let us examine the second conspiracy in-depth, in particular, motives for AG Kelly to blame Penn State instead of Jack Raykovitz and The Second Mile and the lack of a response by Raykovitz and Second Mile There are several questions that remain to be answered:
First let's look again at the 2002 law concerning who is mandated to report incidents of potential child abuse
The 2002 law required that the abused child come directly in contact with a person in his or her professional capacity in order for that person to be considered a mandatory reporter.
Neither Schultz, Curley or Joe Paterno fit the mandatory reporter description only Jack Raykovitz who's professional capacity as a psychologist involved children exclusively. So why isn't Raykovitz charged by Attorney General Kelly for the failure to report suspicious contact with a minor child? Why didn't Raykovitz demand to speak with Mike McQueary?
Raykovitz already knows about the Second Mile mother who complained in 1998 and likely heard Sandusky's. "I'm so sorry I wish I was dead" remark. Now he is faced with a second complaint from the institution that supports his charity. Raykovitz is the expert on underprivileged children. He has the access to counselors and programs for the kids. His awareness of the potential evils of child abuse should be a big part of his box of tools. And he likely has close contacts in the Child Services agency from his charity work. So why isn't Raykovitz all over this. It threatens his livelihood, his reputation, and the very existence of the charity he directs and even more it threatens his kids.
Now add the following into the pot and stir.
Why isn't The Second Mile central to the Grand Jury Investigation since The Second Mile is the organization founded by Jerry Sandusky and the place were he stalked his prey? Ask yourself if there is some reasonable motive for the Attorney General to focus on the flimsy Penn State association and disregard the obvious Second Mile association? Is there a reason why the then AG now Gov got $25,000 from The Second Mile and thousands more from Second Mile Board Members? Some reason why he approved 3 million in grants for the charity in 2010? If someone really followed the money where would it lead?
1) With whom was Jerry Sandusky associated? Obviously The Second Mile since his coaching days at PSU ended in 1999. Sandusky Made $457,000 From The Second Mile Despite Child Sex Allegations
In 2001, The Second Mile began paying Sandusky an annual "consulting" fee of $57,000, tax documents reviewed by FoxNews.com show. The fees added up to $457,000 over eight years. Raykovitz was informed in 2002 by Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley that an individual had reported to Curley that he was uncomfortable about seeing inappropriate contact by Sandusky in the locker room shower with a young boy.
2) Who's jobs and income are at risk?
Jobs and board positions were lost when Second Mile ended and it is certainly a significant threat to the Governor and Attorney General if it becomes common knowledge that the Governor took money from Second Mile while he was investigating if the investigation of Second Mile was limited as a result. Jack Raykovitz and his wife lost $233,000 in combined salaries. When Sandusky was arrested it was a matter of weeks before Second Mile was in big trouble and the Governor is scrambling to explain his actions in not returning a donation from a group he was investigating.
3) Did money change hands?
Former AG now Gov Tom Corbett recieved $25,000 from Second Mile and thousands more from Second Mile board members while he was prolonging the Jerry Sandusky investigation instead of immediately charging him with victim one's complaints. We have to ask whether or not the Executive Director or volunteers at Second Mile were aware of any complaints from other kids about Jerry Sandusky who might have immediately come forward if the Victim one charges were immediately filed.The salary of Raykovitz and wife would have been and have been lost because of the scandal. We have 10 million in assets with 2.7 million a year revenues that ended. Where did that 2.7 million per year or 24 million dollars after 2002 in revenue go? We need to know who benefited from the prolonged investigation and lack of action by the Governor. And Second Mile receives a 3 million dollar taxpayer grant from Gov Corbett in 2010? Where is all that money? Second Mile had many volunteers, used school counselors, school facilities, and facilities at Penn State. See the Annual Report linked below for "In Kind" donations. Where was the money spent?
4) The list of Second Mile donors and Board Members is Impressive
Board members can be found on the last page and donors throughout the 2010 Annual Second Mile Report They would obviously prefer not to be associated with an organization under investigation by the Attorney General. President Bush praised Second Mile as a "shining example of his Thousand Points of Light". Senator Rick Santorum honored Sandusky with an Angels in Adoption Award in 2002. Eagles Coaches Vermeil and Reid, owner R.R.M. Carpenter, Matt Millen of ESPN, actor Mark Wahlberg, and Golfer Arnold Palmer served on the board.
5) Linda Kelly and Frank Noonan's press conference along with the Grand Jury Presentment misled everyone making PSU the equal to Jerry Sandusky in this case to distract attention from The Second Mile and her and Gov Corbett's remarkably slow investigation and the donations their party received from The Second Mile. That is now a fact.
These news articles offer evidence of The Second Mile's involvement with Jerry Sandusky and the relationship with the Governor and Attorneys General. We've seen nothing of the Grand Jury testimony of Jack Raykovitz or heard anything from the parents of Second Mile kids who may have been harmed by the organizations failure to protect their kids.
Raykovitz Did Not Inform Board Members of PSU Decision to Ban Sandusky It seems Sandusky and Raykovitz were close friends. This is the guy who was protecting Sandusky while running the Second Mile charity where JS took his victims. Why did Raykovitz keep Tim Curley's report about Jerry Sandusky from his board of directors?
Raykovitz and his wife received $233,000. in annual salaries from Second Mile for the years following the notification by Tim Curley that Sandusky would no longer be allowed to bring kids to use PSU facilities. That adds up to over 2 million in salaries that were paid over 9 years to the guy who failed to investigate Second Mile internally to see if there were more kids taking showers with the founder. 2.7 million a year distributed by Second Mile somewhere 27 million dollars spent
Second Mile contributed $25,000 to then Attorney General Tom Corbett's campaign for Governor and board members contributed thousands more.
Second Mile knew of the 1998 investigation and Executive Director Raykovitz was informed of the PSU decision to ban Sandusky from bringing kids to workout at PSU in early 2002, but did nothing to restrict his access to children using Second Mile or to question kids about possible inappropriate behavior.
Second Mile CEO Raykovitz was assured by prosecutors that The Second Mile was not a target of investigation.
Gov. Corbett Can’t Have It Both Ways in Penn State Case the governor personally approved a $3 million taxpayer-funded grant to Sandusky’s Second Mile charity while Sandusky was under an investigation he started?
Questions on the Way Corbett Handled Sandusky Investigation "How many more victims were victimized by Jerry Sandusky during the course of that three years? ... He should’ve been cuffed and stuffed as soon as the first allegation came in the door," Philadelphia attorney Dan McCaffery said. "Everybody talks about a bureaucratic breakdown at Penn State," said Lackawanna County attorney Kathleen Kane. "What about the Attorney General’s Office? It was either the product of politics or inexperience. And either way we cannot allow that."
Botched investigation by Corbett "It was completely mishandled," one source close to the investigation told The Patriot-News. "I know these investigations take time, some of them, but someone should have been on this day and night from the beginning because of the severity" of the allegations. It wasn’t until early 2011 that The Second Mile — which Attorney General Linda Kelly said Sandusky used to find his victims — was officially notified by authorities of a child abuse investigation according to the Second Mile. Second Mile CEO Jack Raykovitz did not testify before the Grand Jury until April 2011. Why?
Sandusky charity faced contempt motion over missing records Pennsylvania state prosecutors filed a secret motion to hold The Second Mile children’s charity in contempt in July but was withdrawn in October after some of the missing Sandusky records were found and produced, But the charity’s new lawyers are still looking for the rest of the subpoenaed material and seeking to determine whether the missing records were destroyed or removed in an effort to impede the investigation into Sandusky’s relationships with The Second Mile children
Did Second Mile Charity Do Enough To Protect Its Children From Sex Abuse? law experts say it was within Second Mile's grip to find out if its children were at risk for abuse. "If they really wanted to find out the truth, they could have," Jeff Herman, a Miami lawyer specializing in sex abuse cases told USA Today. "One allegation is a red flag. It puts you on notice. If after that point you don't do anything, it's on you." Herman said several Second Mile families had contacted him
Second Mile CEO implicated in failure to report in Sandusky scandal Raykovitz has not been charged in the sex abuse scandal even though PA law says anyone who works with children must report suspicions of child abuse" "A fair reading of the statute would implicate the CEO of Second Mile in the event he received a report or information regarding possible abuse"
Taking these revelations into account we are left with several burning questions.
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- Why did this investigation drag on for 3 years from 2008 until the presentment in Nov of 2011?
- How could it take three years to check claims of victim 1 and charge Sandusky?
- How could it take until April of 2011 to interview Jack Raykovitz?
- How many more victims were abused after 2008 when Gov Corbett had victim One?
- Why did Second Mile face a contempt motion for failure to produce documents?
- Did Second Mile attempt to impede the investigation?
- Why was The Second Mile not notified of the investigation until early 2011?
- Why didn't Jack Raykovitz take steps to protect The Second Mile Children in 98 or 02?
- Why didn't The Second Mile identify kids who were spending time with Sandusky?
- Is the Governor afraid of the consequences of his evident inaction and campaign donations?
- Is AG Linda Kelly covering for the Governor by making PSU her point of focus?
- Who benefited from 24 million in expenditures by The Second Mile since 2002?
- What is happening to the near 10 million in Second Mile assets?
- Does the failure to charge Sandusky in 2008 threaten the statute of limitations?
- Why didn't Raykovitz report McQueary's suspicions to child services?
- Was Jack Raykovitz made aware of suspicions about JS from other Second Mile parents?
- Did anyone at Second Mile make inquiries to kids families who spent time with JS?
- Were Corbett cronies beneficiaries of Second Mile money?
- How could Corbett approve a 3 million grant of Pa taxpayer money to 2nd Mile in 2010?
- Does it benefit Corbett and his party's office holders to implicate PSU as a distraction?
WHY ISN'T JACK RAYKOVITZ THE KEY NAME TIED TO THE SECOND MILE SANDUSKY SCANDAL?
Given notification to Raykovitz from Tim Curley that actions suspicious enough to prompt PSU to deny Jerry Sandusky access to PSU facilities in the company of children should that have prompted Raykovitz to make an effort to see if there was anything to the 1998 and 2002 investigations that required a closer look at Jerry Sandusky. Raykovitz was the only one told of the McQueary allegations who was by law required to report to child services and police. His job involved children as specified by the 2002 law. Why isn't he charged with failure to report?
Jack Raykovitz, Ph.D. Dr. Raykovitz is a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist
Second Mile CEO resigns amid PSU scandal
Raykovitz has not been charged in the sex-abuse scandal even though PA law says anyone who works with children must report suspicions of child abuse " "A fair reading of the statute would implicate the CEO of the charity in the event he received a report or information regarding possible abuse,"
The Sandusky name is inextricably linked to the Second Mile much like Paterno's name and Penn State Football. Sandusky is not an employee of Penn State and at this point in 2002 he is no longer welcome to bring Second Mile kids on campus so the organization that is saddled with his situation clearly becomes The Second Mile. It is the Second Mile kids that are at risk and Jack Raykovitz who is responsible for the well being of The Second Mile kids. Where Curley and Schultz's responsibility is Penn State - Raykovitz expertise and responsibility is at risk children. This is clearly in his realm of concern and knowledge.
The Second Mile already had programs in place *(see appendix b below) that would offer Raykovitz an easy way to interview the Second Mile kids. Counselors are available for the PEAK and CHALLENGE programs who could look for signs of abuse. It should have been easy for Second Mile to ascertain which kids were with Sandusky on a regular basis away from Second Mile facilities and have those kids interviewed by these counselors to see if abuse was possible. The Second Mile had significant resources *(see appendix A below) close to 10 million in assets and over 2.6 million in revenue. Spending some time and money to research any potential problem indicated by the 98 and 2002 reports would have been money well spent.
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I'm not promoting a Second Mile, Attorney General's Office and Gov Corbett conspiracy but how do we explain this obvious attempt by the Attorney General to make this into the Penn State Sex Scandal? It seems clear that Conspiracy 2 is far more plausible than any conspiracy at Penn State involving a cover up by Paterno, Spanier, Curley and Schultz. There is motive, evidence, and opportunity for Conspiracy Two - no motive, evidence or opportunity for Theory One.
When the Attorney General's office tells Raykovitz that The Second Mile is not under investigation we are left to wonder why that is? All of the victims were Second Mile kids and that was this predators hunting ground. Corbett says McQueary failed his moral responsibility but what about the Governor as Attorney General in 2008? Why was he not morally responsible for failure to notify The Second Mile or to indict Sandusky with the charges of Victim One immediately? What about the moral responsibility of The Second Mile and Raykovitz to inquire about other kids close to Sandusky who were their responsibility?
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When The Second Mile learned from a Second Mile mother about the 1998 incident why was there no action taken to restrict Jerry Sandusky from taking Second Mile kids to PSU or anywhere else? When it happened again in 2002 Jack Raykovitz now had two showering incidents - one that resulted in a full scale investigation in 98 and one that resulted in Sandusky putting the good relationship between Second Mile and PSU at risk. Did that not prompt Jack Raykovitz to question what he should do about Jerry Sandusky? Why didn't he protect his Second Mile kids by going to the police or child services? Surely Second Mile had a working relationship with Child Services. These showering incidents were causing problems for the institution that was helping his charity by providing facilities for their services. Did Second Mile tell Sandusky that it had to stop? Or did Raykovitz and his board approve of Sandusky showering with the kids of The Second Mile?
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Once Sandusky is charged and the Presentment came out The Second Mile is basically finished. It is quite clear that The Second Mile had by far the most to lose if Sandusky was charged and arrested.That is a motive for a cover up. The Second Mile lost support along with the kids who were benefited by the programs.Raykovitz had to know losing Sandusky to sex charges would put an end to The Second Mile and the $233,000 in combined salaries enjoyed by his family.
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Penn State thought a service to kids was being performed by arranging events on campus and at campus facilities but the welfare of The Second Mile kids was not Penn State's primary responsibility. That responsibility rightly belongs to The Second Mile, Raykovitz and his board. Sandusky's arrest is a problem that with negative impact on donors and board members. This brings to mind the Pennsylvania detention center "jail youth for profit" scandal. Is it possible there was some fraud in the funding of The Second Mile? Who is looking into the 2.7 million "expenses" to see how that money was spent and who benefited from 9 years of inaction after Raykovitz was informed of the 2nd showering incident? 37 Million dollars includes Second Miles assets, revenues since 2002, and the 3 million dollar grant. Who benefited from this windfall?
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There is no need for a conspiracy theory to question the actions of Second Mile Executive Director Jack Raykovitz for failure to notify his board or to launch an internal investigation of Jerry Sandusky's contact with Second Mile kids. We don't need a conspiracy theory to question the actions of the Governor taking 3 years to notify Second Mile of the investigation when he was Attorney General or his acceptance of Second Mile donations for his campaign during his investigation. No conspiracy theory is required to question Attorney General Kelly's office informing Raykovitz that Second Mile was not a target or her distortions and lies making this "Second Mile Sandusky Sex scandal" into the "Penn State Sex Scandal".
Gov Corbett explains away his failure to return donations from Second Mile as an effort to avoid tipping off Second Mile about the investigation. Can you believe that? How does that make any sense? Second Mile should not only be tipped off but employed to locate other potential victims. Why was Corbett concerned about tipping off Second Mile? Did he expect they would cover up abuse? If so why wasn't The Second Mile a prime target of the investigation instead of a source of campaign donations and recipient of grant millions?
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Notifying The Second Mile in 2008 and asking them to find all of their kids who spent time with Sandusky and to have counselors interview them in order to identify victims seems like a no-brainer. But we have an investigation that started with Victim One in 2008 that took three long years. Victim One alone was worthy of charges being levied against Sandusky and his immediate arrest. If the Statute of Limitations comes into play this is a massive mistake. If any more kids were molested after 2008 the Attorney General and her predecessor are responsible.
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The net effect of this public pillorying of Penn State will be to dampen the enthusiasm of institutions to support children's charities and will wipe out the good things The Second Mile did for underprivileged kids. There is no doubt some very good people did good things for underprivileged kids through The Second Mile, but this catastrophic failure on the part of Sandusky's friend Jack Raykovitz to stop Sandusky when he had to know his Second Mile kids were at least showering naked with a grown man in questionable circumstances is intolerable and inexcusable. Raykovitz is the man who should be under intense scrutiny. He is the man with 2 million in salary and control of 37 million more who did nothing to protect the Second Mile kids his organization should have protected. Raykovitz is the one guy required by law to report the 2002 McQueary suspicions. Not Paterno, Not Curley or Schultz (see Appendix C) but Jack Raykovitz the trained PhD Psychologist who worked closely with Jerry Sandusky around the kids Sandusky chose to molest and abuse. Curley and Schultz did not have the benefit of psychology degrees and close contact - Raykovitz did.
The new and proper list of responsible parties in the Second Mile Sandusky Sex Scandal
- Jerry Sandusky
- Jack Raykovitz
- Tom Corbett
- Linda Kelly
- Frank Noonan
Joe Paterno, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz were perhaps gullible in believing that Jerry Sandusky was a good man who built a fine charity and fostered six kids as a selfless act. They had no reason to believe otherwise. They may have been fooled into dismissing Mike McQueary's muddled suspicions in favor of their regard for Jerry Sandusky. But they were not Jack Raykovitz and charged with the well being of The Second Mile kids and required by law to report suspicions. Their chief concern was as a football coach and as PSU administrators. They notified the man who was responsible for The Second Mile - a most reasonable solution under the circumstances they knew in 2002. They don't deserve the insane attack of the Attorney General who should be focused on the kids of The Second Mile and the responsible people in that organization which includes Jerry Sandusky. Penn State in this case was a building used by a predator not an institution responsible for these young kids.
The Governor, Attorney General and Police Commissioner want you to believe that Paterno, Curley, and Schultz could have stopped a child predator in 2002 but they don't want you to look at Jack Raykovitz and his cozy relationship with Sandusky where the problem really existed - at the intersection where The Second Mile involves the kids and Jerry Sandusky, Where Jack Raykovitz knew of the 98 and 02 complaints, had the close relationship and psychological training and did nothing even though he was responsible for those kids and required by law to report suspicions. Why don't they want that closer look?
So vote in the poll and add your comments about who you think is most culpable and most likely to have conspired to cover up their actions or inaction. As usual your recs, comments, votes, and likes are most appreciated. And if you need another answer added to the poll to fit your opinion let me know in the comments. -
Aurabass - The hookah smoking caterpillar down the rabbit hole in Wonderland
APPENDIXES
While Second Mile is nowhere near Penn State in revenues and assets it is still a considerable entity
REVENUES
Individuals $ 438,308 Corporations 633,880 Foundations 361,783 Organizations 57,833 Special Events Income $ 1,030,386 Special Projects 147,944 Total Revenues $ 2,689,396 EXPENSES Who gets this money?
- Community Education $ 290,080
- Foster Care 241,295
- Friend/Friend Fitness 398,362
- Fundraising 423,586
- General Programs 239,640
- Leadership Institute 247,567
- Management and General 269,099 $233,000 go to Raykovitz and wife.
- Nittany Lion Tips 131,090
- Prevention: Ed & Awareness for Kids (PEAK) 31,988
- Summer Challenge 571,318 Total Expenses $ 2,844,025
NET ASSETS $ 9,142,485
Among programs offered by the charity that include counseling on self-awareness and self-esteem: PEAK
• Prevention: Education and Awareness for Kids (PEAK) is a series of videotapes and a play kit that highlight issues such as peer pressure, rejection, and selfesteem. There are currently three modules available to educators, with more than 2,075 school counselors currently using them.
Early Intervention Programs Challenge
• This year, The Second Mile helped 782 young people develop the skills they need to succeed through its Challenge Program. During their week-long session of residence, Challenge Program participants set behavior and academic goals and decide on community service projects for the upcoming school year. Through encouragement and a positive environment, collegiate counselors, professional staff, and volunteers guide the children to work on self-awareness and skills in conflict resolution and effective communication
During the following year, participants use these new skills to earn their way back to the Challenge Program by meeting their goals. The Second Mile offers year-round support to participants, their families, and their counselors through written, phone, or in-person contact to assist in the child’s efforts to achieve his or her goals. During the 2009-2010 school year, The Second Mile staff made 9,308 contacts to participants and 6,924 contacts to school counselors to help them stay connected to the program and focused on their goals. We also held 32 mid-year events, attended by 1,295 participants and their families.
Appendix C Who to Blame: To those of you who blame Spanier, Curley or Schultz as culpable in this Sandusky situation: You are stuck with Kelly's cover up conspiracy theory. The Attorney General has to make a case for cover up in order to supply a motive. Think about that before you react. Why would Curley or Schultz sweep a credible accusation by Mike McQueary under the rug? Why can't you accept that Curley and Schultz heard Mike's account, compared it to their view of the charity founder and foster father of six who they knew and chose to notify The Second Mile where Sandusky spent his time and the key responsibility for the Second Mile kids resided? The Second Mile had the reasons to check on Sandusky and they were the experts on kids. They had the resources, the people, the responsibility and they were the ones who's children were at risk. Why blame PSU, Paterno, Curley or Schultz when you have Kelly, Corbett, and Raykovitz?
And why take Mike McQueary's word over the word of Schultz and Curley? Mike's statements have evidently been contradictory. He's the guy who did not bother to ask the boy if he was in need of help. He couldn't even ask Sandusky what was happening. He left the boy with Sandusky. He appeared to be fine with everything when Joe asked him. He continued to participate in Second Mile events. I am having trouble understanding why thinking the worst of Tim Curley or Gary Schultz seems so popular even here on BSD. I don't get the desire to blame Gary and Tim for thinking Jerry Sandusky was a good guy under the circumstances in 2002. Have Linda Kelly's lies and distortions had her desired effect even here?
I don't think Mike McQueary is a bad guy. I suspect he has been guilt tripped by the Attorney General into embellishing his account after learning the extent of Jerry Sanduskys crimes. He wishes he had done more to confirm his suspicions that night in 2002. He wishes he had not run out of that locker room and he's trying to make up for it. Either way I don't see that making Curley or Schultz into pedophile enablers or even mistaken. It's difficult to clear our minds of what we know now and look dispassionately at March of 2002 when Sandusky was known as a good guy and all was right at Penn State. Curley told Raykovitz and in a perfect world without a clever monster that would be the right thing to do.
This is a companion piece to the: Attorney General Linda Kelly Words and Motives fanpost - please visit the SECOND MILE SANDUSKY SEX SCANDAL WEBLOG for the full archive of my posts leading up to this one.
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Okay so it's long and detailed
Best I could do given the information.
Want to thank Aries and Btd for their assistance and ask your forbearance for handing you such a lengthy novel on a Monday. I can only hope you find it worth the effort.
Remember I had to write it and all you have to do is read – or not.
I only hope it makes you feel better about Penn State people and maybe a little hacked off at some others.
Have a great day and thanks in advance to those who make it through this.
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
by aurabass on Jan 16, 2012 7:43 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
how much do you charge for the cliff notes version? ;-)
by The JuggerNitt on Jan 16, 2012 9:35 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I get paid by the word
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
I probably speak for everyone here
When I say that your work has been formidable. You are one of the very few people remaining in this world who can use both common sense and a keen eye for details to bring the work you have done these past couple of months forward.
In my mind, you are a Penn Stater for life.
by farzyness on Jan 16, 2012 9:27 AM EST reply actions 7 recs
And also, Thank you.
I forgot to throw that in there too :P
Thank you farzyness
I truly appreciate the kind words and encouragement
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Thanks aurabass
I have been wondering why The Second Mile is never mentioned in this. It has always seemed to me that they should be included as well. I agree with your assessment. This thing goes all the way to the Governor, and he is going to cover his own a$$. You have been wonderful through all of this. You seem to really grasp what most Penn Staters have been saying and one of the few “outsiders” that react rationally and pay attention to detail.
I think I speak for all when I say thank you…and please continue the great information.
by Offside Clyde on Jan 16, 2012 9:36 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
You are welcome Clyde
and thank you for the kind words
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Just to play Devil's advocate
You presume a few conflicting things.
1) That just a 45 second shower scene including 3 slapping sounds that resembled sexual activity between a naked adult male and a naked 10 yr old boy doesn’t warrant reporting to the proper authorities. Granted, if McQueary never relayed any of the details to anyone then they wouldn’t necessarily have cause to believe it was something substantial enough to warrant reporting to the police, but based on the actions of at least a few of the players (including Paterno), it was substantial enough to at least warrant reporting it up the chain of command as per the law.
2) That because the 1998 investigation didn’t (initially) cause any negative harm to Penn State’s image the 2002 investigation wouldn’t have either. First, this presumes that the decision makers knew about the 1998 incident, which some claim they did not. Also, presuming they did know about the 1998 investigation, then a second investigation would likely have been more damning since now a pattern emerges, and there’s a better chance charges are pressed. It is those charges that are more likely to bring a negative spotlight on Penn State than a quite investigation.
3) I do agree with the absurdity of the conspiracy claims. I see 3 possible scenarios for why the testimonies were so confused and conflicting. a) They are idiots and don’t know how to organize. This seems very unlikely. b) There was dissension between those who wanted to come clean and those who still wanted to hide the truth. I can’t completely discount this, but I’d assume that since they aren’t idiots there’d at least be consistency between both factions, which there isn’t. c) They really just didn’t think anything happened in 2002 or that it was a big deal. This can be split into 2 sub-options: c1) they don’t think child abuse is that bad, c2) They didn’t think child abuse actually occurred.
I can’t say for sure what happened, but I think some are much more likely than others.
4) You minimize the possible crime of covering up sexual abuse by saying it is absurd to compare that to the actual abuse. While the actual abuse is so horrible it is hard to imagine anything else being equally as bad, but I think that if someone actually knows about such abuse and willingly allows it to happen that they are equally guilty. This is akin to the aggressive dog analogy: sure the aggressive dog is the one that bit someone, but it is the owner of that dog’s responsibility to take actions to prevent such attacks.
5) “We also know the second part of the above quote is false. McQueary and Paterno did not inform Curley and Schultz of a sexual assault,” I think this is a bit misleading. Sure they may not have reported a sexual assault, but they still did report possible inappropriate sexual conduct. I think it is splitting hairs.
6) and this one is pretty important: while I agree that Raykovitz and the Second Mile had much more to lose by covering up the Sandusky allegations, and that there are some pretty influential ties and lots of money that would be lost were the charity to fold under the collapse of its founder and star name, this still does not absolve Penn State’s officials from screwing up the way they did. Granted, without the massive media focus on Penn State (assuming they were focusing on the Second Mile instead) there wouldn’t have been the calls to fire Paterno, it still sickens me to think what Schultz and Curley allegedly did, assuming they did indeed brush this under the rug.
by The JuggerNitt on Jan 16, 2012 10:10 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
As to your points - one by one
1) That just a 45 second shower scene including 3 slapping sounds that resembled sexual activity between a naked adult male and a naked 10 yr old boy doesn’t warrant reporting to the proper authorities.
My take – since Raykovitz and The Second Mile was the intersection where Sandusky and the kids meet – and Raykovitz fits the description of ‘mandatory reporter" under the 2002 law – If I were Spanier, Curley or Schultz my inclination would be to take it up with Raykovitz and allow him to decide. People in Academia are quite “Authority” driven and Raykovitz should be the “Authority” on this.
His work with underprivileged ’at risk’ kids should likely have The Second Mile in close contact with people at Child Services.
So 1) McQueary’s account is not too compelling – it only merits a 10 minute meeting and it does not merit recording, taking notes or even a follow up.
2) The Second Mile and Sandusky are highly regarded as benefactors to these kids
3) Raykovitz should be the expert closest to both Sandusky, the kids, and the authorities who would handle an investigation.
Several folks like jesse who seem to agree with position have made strong points about the lack of any institutional policy to deal with this kind of situation. I would think The Second Mile – who’s business it is to put hundreds of adults in touch with thousands of kids would have a policy on how to deal with suspicions and complaints of this nature.
I began my interest in this situation believing M McQueary was being vilified for the wrong reasons – too shocked to react appropriately – the deeper I get into it the more uncertain I become of his role. I’ve spent a lot of time with university administrators and I think I have a firm grip on the Curley and Schultz mindset. By their testimony they seemed to be unnaturally unconcerned about the McQueary report to them if that report was as graphic and definitive as McQueary makes it out to have been.
I don’t quite understand why you seem to choose to think the worst of these two men
it still sickens me to think what Schultz and Curley allegedly did, assuming they did indeed brush this under the rug.
Why would they even consider sweeping a credible report by McQueary under the rug?
What would their motive be?
And why is reporting McQueary’s suspicions to Jack Raykovitz ‘sweeping it under the rug’?
Why isn’t Raykovitz the perfect person to assess Sandusky’s relationship to Second Mile kids?
That’s where he worked and Raykovitz was his director – that is where the expertise to judge the situation existed.
I now believe Raykovitz was the optimum person to notify IF he was actually a good man concerned about the Second Mile kids.
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
by aurabass on Jan 16, 2012 4:54 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Point 4
4) You minimize the possible crime of covering up sexual abuse by saying it is absurd to compare that to the actual abuse. While the actual abuse is so horrible it is hard to imagine anything else being equally as bad, but I think that if someone actually knows about such abuse and willingly allows it to happen that they are equally guilty.
What about accusing 2 decent men of knowing “He Saw anal intercourse and reported it to Curley and Schultz”. To make that claim in her presentment and to justify it with “Paterno and McQueary told Curley and Schultz of a sexual assault” is the worst defamation of character I can imagine.
At worst Curley and Schultz failed to report “something of a sexual nature that was deemed extremely inappropriate” and that is a far cry from explicit buggering of a 10 year old.
In my view they did report it to the person in the position to best know or find out about Sandusky and Second Mile kids and while that may not be enough for you or the Attorney General I can’t imagine you would rush out and tell the world a blatant LIE that makes these men into insensitive monsters instead of people with bad judgment.
There is no evidence of a conspiracy to cover up in the testimony is there?
They simply did what they thought was appropriate at the time given the players, the words they heard, and their positions in the institution. We can debate how appropriate the decision may have been but I can see not reason to assume they maliciously enabled a pedophile in order to protect a football program. Can you?
So why that lack of concern for their treatment by Linda Kellly and her obviously misleading attempt to paint them as men who knew of a definitive anal rape of a 10 year old and chose to hide it for the sake of the PSU brand?
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
by aurabass on Jan 16, 2012 6:11 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
That also covers point 5 above
5) "We also know the second part of the above quote is false. McQueary and Paterno did not inform Curley and Schultz of a sexual assault," I think this is a bit misleading. Sure they may not have reported a sexual assault, but they still did report possible inappropriate sexual conduct. I think it is splitting hairs.
with this addition – the difference between The Attorney General’s charge "they heard from MM about the anal rape of a 10 year old – supported in the presser by “sexual assault” is one hell of a massive hair’s difference from “suspicions of possible inappropriate sexual contact”
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
By the way JuggerNitt
I have nothing but great respect for your expression of your point of view.
A disagreement with you is healthy and challenging in the best ways
It causes thought and careful consideration.
Just because I disagree I am not driven to exasperated frustration as I am with certain people who obviously pound their position without taking in the opposing viewpoint and addressing the opposing argument with care and respect.
thank you for that – and your willingness to be as complete and detailed as I am.
PEACE
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Re: Culpability of Schultz, Spanier, & Curley
While I certainly agree that there’s a whole lot of fishy stench about The Second Mile and Dr. Raykovitz, I also feel that there was a breakdown in the functioning of Penn State’s handling of a report of a potential crime. Considering the wealth of motives on the part of TSM donors and employees, and the dearth of motives for PSU employees, I’d definitely agree that it’s far more likely that if a criminal conspiracy exists it’s embedded within TSM. Still, I believe that there were institutional failures within Penn State that, while not criminal or even malicious, promoted the ‘all is well’ attitude that blew up so spectacularly back in November.
Unrepentant Joe Paterno Apologist®
by leeharvey418 on Jan 16, 2012 11:30 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Actually explosives were rigged and set off intentionally
by the Attorney General and her characterization of PSU’s involvement.
We can all identify mistakes in judgment given hindsight but those mistakes are innocent.
Curley and Schultz could well have done the best they could with what they knew and were told
Raykovitz seems like a good solution. Tell him – the expert – on Sandusky and kids and let him decide the best course of action.
That just makes a whole lot of sense to me.for all the reasons I went into.
I don’t think you can have a breakdown when there was no policy or prerequisite in place for dealing with this kind of thing. They did what they thought was best given the report, the players, and the available solutions. i think it was quite justifiable.
Reporting it to Raykovitz was a good solution
Banning Sandusky from ever putting them in that position again was a good solution
Raykovitz seems to me to be the guy who had the best reasons for concern and appropriate action – as it turned out he failed his Second Mile kids by his failure to protect them but this was his job – not Curley and Schultz job. IMHO
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
by aurabass on Jan 16, 2012 5:05 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Adding additional conspiracy theories: ESpin and B1G-hating media folks
I’m not necessarily wearing a lead-foil hat here, but here’s another conspiracy thought for everyone:
What brought down Coach Paterno was the media firestorm. Where did the firestorm start? and where did it intensify? In sports media and among those most consistently hating on the B1G.
Since 2007 (or so) when B1G started up the BTN, the ESpin/ABC/CBS media bias against the B1G has gotten noticably stronger. All of those are pro-SEC media outlets. In just the last year, two of the B1G’s CFB “Kings” have been severely damaged/disrupted by media firestorms. And, to my view, the same pro-SEC media has downplayed and underplayed stories about scandals at southern and SEC schools. As an example, does anyone remember that South Carolina had a scandal and is on probation? And, gosh, what’s going on at Miami? It would not surprise me to learn that somewhere, the ESpin evil cabal decided on or about November 5th that Sandusky’s crimes could be used to take PSU down a few pegs.
ESpin and ABC are Disney owned; Disney and Fox are in a tight dogfight for market share. It would be interesting to investigate whether there was any significant difference in reporting of the Sandusky sandal from Fox-owned media vs. Disney-owned media.
by WarBuck46410 on Jan 16, 2012 11:36 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
It's proven that ESPN are biased in their reporting.
Just look at their highlights. Which teams consistently making highlight reels? Which games get the most attention paid to them? Look how they hardly cover ANY hockey, whose licensing is owned ny NBC.
You do not need a tinfoil hat to accept this entire narrative has been controlled by the media. They control which speculation gets air-time and which gets ignored. There is as much evidence right now to support Paterno’s actions were enough in regard to Victim #2 as there is to support that it wasn’t. Somehow, the assumption that had Paterno done more in 2002, it would’ve accomplished what it took investigators over 3 years to produce. Let’s not forget the weakest part of the GJ investigation is also the only part that involved Paterno. Without Victim #2 being produced and testifying against Sandusky, it is very unlikely those charges will result in a guilty verdict. Yet regardless if investigators with 3 years of evidence are able to validate MM’s account, Paterno was expected to do it immediately and also discover every other case against Sandusky as well.
It is easy to go down into Hell; night and day, the gates of dark Death stand wide; but to climb back again, to retrace one's steps to the upper air - there's the rub, the task.
by Succss With Honor Always on Jan 16, 2012 3:26 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
and, likewise, to follow up on points made in the OP, the media focus COULD have easily been focused on The Second Mile.
Under that media narrative, TSM is the institution covering up Sandusky’s crimes and PSU is in the background. Such a narrative is easy to support from the initial reports following November 5th: the AG even offered the olive branch in saying that she thought Coach Paterno had done what he was required to do, that the AG’s office was pleased with his cooperation and that he was not under investigation. As an aside, without the Curley/Schultz indictments, maybe the narrative would have gone that way.
As another aside, this lends some additional insight to Aurabass’ theory of prosecutorial misconduct. Indicting Schultz and Curley was a choice. Why did the AG make that choice? Clearly, the AG intended that PSU take some sort of public/media relations “hit” from the Grand Jury Presentment. Prosecutor’s decisions, in general, are capricious: the reasons for or against bringing charges are their own and often a mystery. Why did Gricar decided NOT to press charges in 1998? who knows.
Anyway, back to the point: the media narrative certainly COULD have gone in such a way that TSM was the “bad organization.”
In my opinion, money is the driving factor here. The media creates a narrative that generates the most page hits, ratings and sales. The Second Mile is “ho-hum-who-cares.” By contrast, “JoePa Hiding A Child Molester” is GOLD for ratings, page hits and sales. Which is, in turn, really insidious since it is the media that hyped and promoted PSU so that people would want to read about PSU which then allowed the media to get mega-ratings by tearing down PSU. Like the horrible witch in ‘Hansel & Gretel’ fattening up the kids for dinner.
And now the media cycle is heading the other way; gonna build PSU up again with the “new beginnings” narrative which will be good for ratings now and then good for mega-ratings at some later point (maybe, e.g., if BOB fails as spectacularly as RichRod - not saying he will, just giving an example of a possible next media exploitation of the ratings “gold” that is PSU).
For what it’s worth, this all just proves the power of the PSU brand. If this had happened at the Citadel (it did), no one would care (they don’t) and no one would be reading about it (they aren’t).
by WarBuck46410 on Jan 16, 2012 5:05 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
the media focus COULD have easily been focused on The Second Mile.
But most of the media needed/wanted it to be a sports story. Start talking about another youth service organization involved in abuse and people start surfing to the next channel.
by cs93 on Jan 16, 2012 9:00 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
The media mostly took the lead of the Attorney General
She served up Paterno and Penn State on a silver platter much to the benefit of the sports media that now had a scandal approved by the highest offices in the state.
Both the sports media and the AG are responsible but the AG is the one who told the LIE, misled the media with false equivalences and distorted opinions, misused and misquoted the law on mandatory reporting, let Raykovitz off the hook, and laid bogus perjury charges on Curley and Schultz.
The sports media was handed a bonanza and none of them looked that gift horse in the mouth. Now they have another great story if they choose to use it. They can reverse the process and hoist the AG on her own petard by exonerating Paterno using the correct information and evidence and sell even more advertising.
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Incredible
you continue to demonstrate true journalistic skill and, simultaneously, shine a light on the fraud that is ESPN and the rest of the MSM.
Thank you
by Keith Platt on Jan 16, 2012 4:53 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
Thanks kmplatt
I appreciate the remarks and encouragement
and I enjoy reading your fine work as well.
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
conspiracy theory #3
I think this is your best work.
If we are talking about conspiracy theories, there is one other great puzzle that escapes explanation: Why did Penn State respond so weakly to the charges, not just initially, but still months later? Everyone keeps talking about the BOT being incompetent or spineless, but maybe someone should consider whether certain powerful leaders on the BOT have financial or political incentives to go along with the AG and Governor and not rock the boat. I hadn’t given much thought to this, but seems at least as likely as theories they are incompetent or spineless. And it fits in well with your TSM theories—everyone is covering everyone’s back, the only people left to take the blame are Paterno and previously nameless administrators at Penn State.
by psuCHI on Jan 16, 2012 8:56 PM EST reply actions 4 recs
How many of the BOT's were involved with Second Mile?
I had chills when I saw the picture of Amendola at a Second Mile fundraiser and there was Gary Schultz grinning like a retard developmentally disabled person in the back row.
by cs93 on Jan 16, 2012 9:03 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
scarier to contemplate if you ask the question in reverse: how many Second Mile people were involved with PSU? how many "big donors" overlapped?
by WarBuck46410 on Jan 16, 2012 9:21 PM EST up reply actions
It was a lot
State College is a small town. I would guess that there are a ton of people who overlapped between the two organizations.
Politicians and conspiracy theory
I can’t find a correlation between the BoT and the BoD of 2nd Mile yet but several political figures have been trying to make political capitol from the scandal.
Hang him from the highest tree and I’ll bring the rope if he is guilty of what has been alleged.
Rick Santorum Does Not Know What’s Being Taught as PSU After Learning of the Scandal
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum weighed in, with the former Pennsylvania senator saying the controversy left him feeling “punched in the gut.” “Heads have rolled, but we’re not done yet, and we shouldn’t be done yet,” Santorum, a 1980 Penn State graduate, said on CNN. “I don’t know what’s being taught up there anymore.”
Pennsylvanian politicians and particularly Rick Santorum, a Penn State alum who once sponsored Sandusky for a ‘Congressional Angels in Adoption’ award have received more questions Santorum has made sure to make the most of this unusual media moment. He has announced he’s "devastated" and yesterday made a splash when he claimed that Penn State should be banned from bowl play this year.
Bachmann didn’t get immediately to his question and said, among other things, "I think my automatic reaction would be, even though I’m a small woman, I’d want to go find that guy and beat him to a pulp."
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Is it still even legitimate to call Sarah Palin a political figure?
She’s like the Rosanne Barr of Republicans now.
I dont even know who claims her anymore…
BTW, This is a really good post Aurabass. I’m glad you have toned down the specifics. The information here is really great.
Cory Giger smells like bologna.
Cory Giger is a Noonan.
Noonan is a Cory Giger.
"Publicity is like poison. It doesn't hurt unless you swallow it."
Joe Paterno
At least one PA politician has Joe's back
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A high-ranking state senator choked up with emotion as he praised the accomplishments of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno.
Sen. Jake Corman, the Appropriations Committee chairman, spoke for nearly a half-hour at the end of Tuesday’s Senate session.
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
I think the main take-away from this is the spotlight has been on the wrong people for quite some time. Once information was in the hands of state officials, which occured as early as ’98, I believe the primary responsiblity is on them.
TSM comes in a close second when it comes to culpability. Raykovitz had more than enough information to alert him to a potential problem which should have been acted on in ’98. It baffles me why he and TSM are not being investigated.
Penn State has mishandled countless things in this story. But I would like to point out that they didn’t do anything that highschool principles, high school coaches, and parents didn’t do. (Ex. The principal who continued to let JS take children off campus during the school day after parents had complained that this was unacceptable. As far as I know, this principal still has a job. Do you trust her with your kid?) There are 8 known victims. Authority figures dropped the ball with 7 of them. I don’t understand why none of these other people/organizations/schools are not under more scrutiny.
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and though we are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven; that which we are, We Are - Tennyson
by belbijou on Jan 17, 2012 12:40 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I agree with your ranking of responsible partie
and the characterization “mishandled” is fair. But PSU should not be anywhere close to central in this situation. The ranking of those most responsible for that start with the Attorney General and the media, and then Mike McQueary – and I think the Attorney General is even responsible for Mike McQueary.
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
I totally agree.
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and though we are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven; that which we are, We Are - Tennyson
by belbijou on Jan 17, 2012 9:10 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
How can we change the narrative?
Aurabass, you provided another Herculean effort in your assessment of the true culprits to this scandal. My question is how can we disseminate this information (besides forwarding this posting to our friends/family)? Wouldn’t the Patriot News, Penn Live, and other publications be interested in the political slant to the scandal? There has to be other means of changing the current narrative. The Joe Paterno interview with the Washington Post was a step in the right direction. Now, we need the focus to be on Corbett, Noonan, Kelly. We need someone on BSD who has connections to the media.
by ssd on Jan 17, 2012 1:44 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I wish I knew ssd
but this effort has only produced a few comments and just over 60 votes in the poll
I don’t know if those who once displayed intense interest in working for a change in the narrative have lost interest or if this is just a slow week and people are tired of this whole subject
Seems like sniping with M1EK may be more popular than serious discussion of exculpatory information. If 50 people sent this to Sara Gamin sganim@pnco.com or other media outlets would they start to pay attention to the misleading statements by the Attorney General and the role of Jack Raykovitz? I don’t know but I keep emailing these things out to see.
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
by aurabass on Jan 17, 2012 7:24 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Please do not stop posting...
I do agree that some people are exhausted by this topic and might need reprieve to discuss frivolous matters (i.e., sniping at trolls). However, your work is important (I think majority of us just wish that the mainstream media would also run with some of your theories). Who is Sara Gamin (assuming she’s a reporter)? However, if and when there’s a civil lawsuit filed by victims against PSU, rest assured that many people would be reviewing your work with greater enthusiasm. You provide great theories for possible cross complaints. I am sure if and when PSU gets sued, their legal team would be bringing in Second Mile (not sure if Governor Corbett/Noonan/Kelly could legitimately be brought in as a cross defendant….possibly for separate claims for defamation/libel, malicious prosecution, legal/ethical violations depending on whether victim #2 actually exists…) Who knows…maybe PSU will call you in the near future to be part of their legal team.
by ssd on Jan 17, 2012 8:02 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Sara Gamin is the Patriot News PennLive reporter
who has been doing the best job IMHO of reporting the situation.
I think she can start a media backlash
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Gamin was one of the first reporters on the case in March
March article on Grand Jury Investigation
and she has been writing ever since
Patriot-News reporter Sara Ganim, who first wrote about the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse investigation in March, has been featured on national media talking about the case. This week, she’s been on PBS, ESPN and CNN to discuss not just her reporting but the reaction to the allegations.
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Email Sarah
She’s good. And if anyone can find something out, she can.
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and though we are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven; that which we are, We Are - Tennyson
by belbijou on Jan 17, 2012 9:11 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Didn't realize that EVERYONE had the same thought!
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and though we are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven; that which we are, We Are - Tennyson
by belbijou on Jan 17, 2012 9:12 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
If they do have the same thought
and act upon it to spread the word about the facts and the AG’s duplicity by emailing the reporters enough they will have to eventually read and judge the logic. If Gamin takes this up and gets to go into it on CNN, ESPN and PBS it could make others take a closer look and who knows where it might lead?
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Just got to this tonight
Excellent work, aurabass. I wanted to delve into the TSM angle but never got the chance too since dealing with the media bias and ethics consumed my writing and research while going to school. This is superb. I tweeted it to Sara Ganim and the Patriot News. I really hope they read it and do something with it.
Thank you for everything you’ve done here over the past 2 months. It’s greatly appreciated.
Follow my antics: @djv5030
Its the name on the front of the jersey that matters most, not the one on the back. -Joe Paterno
by Dan Vecellio on Jan 17, 2012 10:49 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Thanks OnwardPSU
the encouragement is greatly appreciated
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Thank You
This really is exceptional work. I don’t have time to do it and your presentation is factual and clear. Nicely done.
Losing a game is heartbreaking. Losing your sense of excellence or worth is a tragedy.
by 87Townie on Jan 18, 2012 10:47 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
You are welcome
and thanks for the support
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Consider adding to your database:
Org charts from march 2002 for involved parties at PSU and TSM (you might already have this), but I think a simplified chronology can help,too.
I just skimmed the two presentments, and here is a chronological list based on earliest (assumed in some cases) alleged indecent acts by JS:
1994. Vic 7
1996/97. Vic 4
1996/98. Vic 5
1997. Vic 10. (is this the B.K. referenced in first GJP?)
1998. Vic 6. (investigated by UP police and CPS; Ray Gricar chose not to pursue)
2000, summer. Vic 3
2000, fall. Vic 8. (victim unknown; witnessed by Jim Calhoun, has dementia now)
2002, March 1. Vic 2. (victim unknown ?; Mike McQ witness)
2005. Vic 9
2005. Vic 1. (launched current investigation, passed thru JS son’s brother in law)
If Vic 10 is B.K., then first 5 victims knew each other
5 more victims after 1998 investigation, 2 are unknown
2 victims after the 2002 victim 2 incident.
Of those two, earliest (inferred from GJPs) alleged JS indecent contact in 2005.
For conspiracy theorists, I’ll add Ray Gricar went missing on 4/15/2005…
And refer you to:
http://www.yardbird.com/midnight_ride_another_missing_PA_prosecutor_2.htm
and
https://sites.google.com/site/raygricar/timeline
by skins4ever' on Jan 18, 2012 2:01 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Thank you skins - that is most helpful
would you contact me by email – my screen name at gmail dot com?
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
It would never occur to me
that so many people would spend so much time denying the facts of serial child rape by a university employee of great stature, prestige and access. Or that “I didn’t want to mess up anyone’s weekend”, in regard to a report of child rape, was a completely normal response by someone who was more powerful than the AD or university president. But then I am not “Penn State”, so evidently I wouldn’t understand. Carry on. I’m sure this has something to do with ESPN’s SEC bias, right?
Logic, grammar and punctuation: much preferred!
by I_am_Querulous_Yellow on Jan 18, 2012 2:42 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
You_have_no_idea_what_you’re_talking_about
...may we compete with fierce intensity, with the gifts that we have been given...
by jesse. on Jan 18, 2012 3:34 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Oh, really?
This reminds me of the calumny that was raining down last fall when you people were in love with “the chain of command” trope. Now we’re into witness impeachment. Carry on.
Logic, grammar and punctuation: much preferred!
by I_am_Querulous_Yellow on Jan 18, 2012 3:39 PM EST up reply actions
"you people"
To whom do you refer?
As a Tennessee resident and graduate and author of this post there is no presumed endorsement of my assessment by anyone simply because they attended or attend Penn State.
And whether or not there were individuals who made mistakes there is no question that “Penn State” is not to blame for Jerry Sandusky any more that Iowa is to blame for John Wayne Gacy or Robert Hansen or the 1,351 sex offenders in Iowa City
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Fair questions, I'll offer my impressions
There are 10 victims identified in 2 grand jury presentments. Two have not been identified. Very few, if any, of those writing or commenting on this blog have denied anything to do with the 8 identified victims. No one here has attempted to defend Sandusky.
The majority of the debate has focused on Victim 2 and how McQuery’s witness accounts to Paterno, then to Curley & Schultz, got us to where we are today.
The original post is challenging why The Second Mile is not under investigation. Sandusky founded it. Sandusky (allegedly) found all 8 identified victims through The Second Mile.
The statement by Paterno that he didn’t want to interrupt their weekend looks damn callous, I agree. But, he did interrupt their weekend. They met on Sunday per Schultz’s testimony. Yes, still looks bad since it’s one day later. (although, does not look as bad as waiting 8-9 years to reveal possession of an audiotape between an alleged victim and the alleged perpetrators spouse admitting spousal knowledge of the alleged abuse, but really, that’s not germane to your questions & comments).
So the point is, why isn’t The Second Mile being investigated? Penn State’s name is “mud” now and will be for sometime well into the future. There are hundreds of thousands of Penn Staters who had nothing to do with any of this and will have to deal with it to some degree every time their affiliation with Penn State is known.
The small subset of Penn Staters here are simply trying to understand it. Most of those here have read the Grand Jury Presentments. Most have read the testimony from the Curley & Schultz perjury hearing. It includes Paternos 9 minute long testimony from his appearance before the Grand Jury in January 2011. (Yes, swearing in to dismissal took just 9 minutes)
These events are complicated, as evidenced by the length of the opening post. Perhaps next time, you won’t skim it so fast using that SEC speed you possess.
by skins4ever' on Jan 18, 2012 3:35 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Querulous is a Hawkeye fan skins
or that’s where the Peevish one posts
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Thanks for illustrating my failure
To bring one small joke into my post.
On a side note, aura, one thing bothering me in your posts. I tried to confirm elsewhere but was unsuccessful. I don’t think John McQuery is a doctor. I know he is/was a physicians assistant for a long time, and was instrumental in that becoming more widespread career for others. That’s all – please carry on with your efforts!
Thanks skins
You appear to be correct about John McQueary as a Physician’s Assistant and one who "pioneered the PA program on a national level after receiving his degree at Duke and serving for years on the teaching staff as an instructor. I thought I had read that he had his Doctorate but may be mistaken. He is inducted in the Duke University Hall of Fame.
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Since PSU
enabled Sandusky’s activities, and included him in the president’s box a week before he was indicted, perhaps it’s not so strange that “Penn State’s name is "mud" now and will be for sometime well into the future.”
Anyway, carry on. I’ve been watching this for the past several months, and it’s clear that it will end well, with the complaints tossed, the alleged victims scorned, the AG impeached, the school executives exonerated, and 100% of the responsibility for Sandusky’s behavior within the PSU community while on PSU facilities falling to … Second Mile.
Logic, grammar and punctuation: much preferred!
by I_am_Querulous_Yellow on Jan 18, 2012 3:45 PM EST up reply actions
For one who prefers logic
Where in this post is 100% responsibility ascribed to The Second Mile?
My opinion is 100% of the blame for Sandusky’s alleged actions is on Sandusky.
Blame for failure to report can be assigned to both PSU and The Second Mile.
And when I say blame can be assigned to PSU, that is limited to a very small percentage of people associated with the university.
by skins4ever' on Jan 18, 2012 4:00 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
So before a man is indicted or charged
he attends a football game and possibly goes into the President’s Box – that happens to be open to everyone who is allowed on the Box Level of the stadium – and that should make Penn State’s name “mud”?
I want to make certain I have your remarks correct.
Please don’t duck and run yet. You haven’t replied to any of my replies to your comments and I did take the trouble to respond. Are you going to stand by your remarks or deny them with silence?
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Hey Yellow...
E$PN Called, they’ need that script back.
Losing a game is heartbreaking. Losing your sense of excellence or worth is a tragedy.
Yellow has left the building along with it's tail between it's legs
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
This should be fun
It would never occur to me
that so many people would spend so much time denying the facts of serial child rape by a university employee of great stature, prestige and access.
It would never occur to me either – and I have not seen or read anything like that anywhere – certainly not here
Or that "I didn’t want to mess up anyone’s weekend", in regard to a report of child rape, was a completely normal response by someone who was more powerful than the AD or university president.
An 84 year old mind dealing with radiation treatments and a broken pelvis – certainly under a drug influence for pain – will have memory lapses and Joe contacted Curley and Schultz on Sunday and they met that morning.
Carry on. I’m sure this has something to do with ESPN’s SEC bias, right?
Since I am an SEC fan and graduate of Tennessee and I wrote this post your final remark pretty much sums up your querulous nature along with your cluelessness.
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
and it should be noted that Joe
was trying to recollect a 10 minute meeting in 2002 involving a rather muddled account of 3 slaps and a couple of 2 second glances over a 45 second locker room visit. That 45 second visit, 3 slapping sounds and 2 glances have been blown into a tidal wave of anti PSU sentiment. It’s quite amazing.
Obviously you have been victimized by a Media that was totally misled by the Attorney General. I guess I can understand your problem – your gullibility in believing the media’s misinformation. How could you possibly get to the facts and truth of the situation?
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......
Well I see the Querulous one is a hit and run poster
shoot from the hip – get shot down thoroughly – and run for the cornfield
Born in Fort Sanders - 1st Residence Aconda Court (Alumni Hall) - 1st games at Neyland 1947 - Mother = TORCHBEARER - Dad grad of UT & UT Law + professor BORN ORANGE and BLEED ORANGE .......

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