Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky has been convicted on 45 of 48 charges related to child sexual abuse, but the culpability game is far from over. Former FBI Director Louis Freeh and his consulting group, Freeh Group International Solutions (classy name!), were hired several months ago to serve as independent investigators of the scandal, and their report is scheduled to be released on Thursday. With several leaks already making their way around the internet, however, most websites are looking to get ahead of the story today.
The consensus: It doesn't look good for Penn State, and that means ALL of Penn State, from Joe Paterno to Tim Curley to Gary Schultz to the janitor who witnessed Sandusky molesting a boy. If you've followed the case closely enough and are a reasonably logical person, you could draw this conclusion yourself.
BUT, if you're one of the people who chooses to believe Joe Paterno is a divine figure incapable of using email and ferreting out child abuse, yet completely capable of wielding an iron fist to rule an entire sports program and institution of higher learning, then the report may come as a surprise.
Look, we already know that Paterno's family's claims that he never used email are ridiculous, and that several high-ranking school officials likely were aware of Sandusky's abuse and actively covered it up. The Freeh Report, in my PROFESSIONAL opinion, will simply provide detailed evidence of a cover-up and will help determine what sort of civil liability the school has should any of the victims choose to sue (they almost certainly will).
As mentioned before, all the anonymous sources floating around the interwebs seem convinced Penn State is about to be sent through a garbage disposal, with no stone left unturned by Freeh and his team. It's probably not what the Board of Trustees had in mind when they commissioned the report several months ago, but they had no choice but to proactively investigate if they wanted to avoid as much of the law's -- and the NCAA's -- wrath as possible.
The NCAA, traditionally a tortoise when it comes to disciplinary action, has yet to make any significant statements or moves toward punishing the school or the football program, but a death penalty remains in play. That would mean no Penn State football for at least a year, a devastating blow to a school that for years relied on the tradition (and financial support) of the program to deliver students and top-tier athletes.
While we don't know for sure what's going to be in the Freeh Report, I can tell you one person who need not fear inclusion on a list of guilty parties: Gerry "With a G" Sandusky.
Miles to go before we sleep, you guys. Miles to go before we sleep.
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Follow on Ology: Anthony Schneck | Sandusky Scandal
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[Yahoo! Sports]
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