At the very least, it's over. Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was found guilty of 45 of a possible 48 charges related to sexual abuse of minors during his time as a coach at Penn State and as a leader of his charity for underprivileged youth, The Second Mile. Sentencing will be held in approximately three months, with jail time up to 442 years possible.
| Related: Full Transcript Of Grand Jury Report That Led To Sandusky's Arrest |
The three charges of which Sandusky was found not guilty are as follows, via the invaluable Patriot-News:
Count 7: Involuntary deviate sexual intercourse (Victim 2, the "shower incident" victim who is still unidentified).
Verdict: Not guilty.
Count 24: Indecent assault (Victim 5, Second Mile participant, inappropriate shower touching, now in his early 20s).
Verdict: Not guilty.
Count 28: Indecent assault (Victim 6, Second Mile participant, inappropriate shower touching. Victim 6's mother alerted Penn State police when her son came home with wet hair after showering with Sandusky. Two officers eavesdropped on a conversation between Sandusky and Victim 6's mother in 1998, during which Sandusky reportedly said he was sorry and that he wanted to die. This is the initial investigation that was not pursued.).
Verdict: Not guilty.
While this brings a seemingly swift end to what has been the worst scandal to hit college athletics -- and higher education in general -- in history, we are a long way from home. To begin with, Sandusky's defense lawyers have begun postruing for an appeal, though with the way Joe Amendola has performed so far, anything is possible.
On top of it all, let's not forget that Jerry Sandusky, while he apparently is the only person involved with Penn State who sexually assaulted children, is not the only guilty party. There's an entirely separate set of legal cases against two former Penn State officials, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, and their complicity in Sandusky's crimes only scratches the surface. What about the original investigation of Sandusky in 1998? What about the district attorney, Ray Gricar, who disappeared mysteriously and was declared legally dead? He was the man who opted not to prosecute Sandusky initially. On a more speculative note, what about the rumors that Sandusky helped rich donors to his charity gain access to boys? That's the most salacious rumor so far, but the man alleging it, Mark Madden, wrote a column in April 2011 claiming Sandusky was forced out of his coordinator job and de facto role as heir apparent to Joe Paterno because JoePa learned of his predilection for young boys.
And, least important, what about the Penn State football program and the myriad officials who allowed this to happen? Curley and Schultz face legal repercussions for their failure to act on Mike McQueary's report about the now-infamous "shower incident" from 2001, but clearly this is not the act of a few rogue agents. This is an institutional failure of the highest order. Talk of eliminating Penn State's football program was dropped relatively quickly, but isn't this a situation that calls for such drastic measures?
Too many questions remain, and while it's a satisfying end for those who seek "justice," keep in mind the hell the victims, their families and everyone else involved must have gone through before you join in the crowds who seem to be cheering this verdict as though it's a football game.
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[NY Times]
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