Excerpt from Paterno's GJ testimony:
Q: Other than the incident that Mike McQueary reported to you, do you know in any way, through rumor, direct knowledge or any other fashion, of any other inappropriate sexual conduct by Jerry Sandusky with young boys?
Mr. Paterno: I do not know of anything else that Jerry would be involved in of that nature, no. I do not know of it.
You did mention — I think you said something about a rumor. It may have been discussed in my presence, something else about somebody.
I don’t know.
I don’t remember, and I could not honestly say I heard a rumor.
Q: You indicated that your report was made directly to Tim Curley. Do you know of that report being made to anyone else that was a university official?
Mr. Paterno: No, because I figured that Tim would handle it appropriately.
I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Mr. Curley and I thought he would look into it and handle it appropriately.
Note that Paterno states that he no information about Sandusky being involved in any kind of similar behavior in the past - DESPITE the FACT that:
In 1998, University police investigate allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior involving Sandusky. No criminal charges are pursued.
On June 1, 1998: University police interview Sandusky, who admits showering with Victim 6. A detective tells Sandusky never to shower with children again.
Then less than a year later, Sandusky 'retires', but with full athletic facilities access. Facinating, no?
These Joe Paterno's two GJ testimony responses indicate to me that either:
A) Paterno was a geriatric, senile, fool, who had no control of his football program nor knowledge of what his top assistant coaches were doing. And his later trust in Tim Curley was so horrifically misplaced, and his leadership skills so weak that after it was clear Curley was doing nothing, he didn't feel he could stand up and follow up on McQuery's info on his own, as a employee of Penn State.
-or-
B) Paterno is a bald faced liar, who knew Sandusky was involved in inappropriate behaviors, was a threat to the program, and coaxed him into retirement in 1999, but didn't have the courage to dismiss him from the university in full back in 1998.
I'd love to hear any one else's option C, D, E, etc.
I'm seriously getting ill reading some of the defense Paterno is getting in here. But maybe that's because I have 2 young sons, who are likely to be in a college setting like that some day if they go to a kids football camp. Maybe I'm just a hysterical parent here, blinded by my desire to keep my boys safe.
