Penn State: Too Little, Too Late

Do the right thing. Penn State did. Finally. Belatedly. Ingloriously. The Board of Trustees at Penn State University fired school president Graham Spanier and football coach Joe Paterno on Wednesday night.

Sisters Ryann and Alexxa are far more appealing than any scene from Penn State or a picture of Joe Paterno.

Paterno had announced earlier in the day he would retire at the end of the season. The Board of Trustees decided otherwise as it dealt with the handling of a child-sex abuse case involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

“Our great university has been rocked by serious charges against a former coach,” Spanier said in a statement Wednesday night. “The presentment by the attorney general describes acts that should never be tolerated or ignored. I was stunned and outraged to learn that any predatory act might have occurred in a university facility or by someone associated with the university.

“I am heartbroken to think that any child may have been hurt and have deep convictions about the need to protect children and youth. My heartfelt sympathies go out to all those who may have been victimized.”

Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley will serve as interim coach.

“I am disappointed with the board of trustees’ decision, but I have to accept it,” Paterno, 84, said in a statement. “A tragedy occurred, and we all have to have patience to let the legal process proceed.”

Tell it to the victims and their families.

“The university is much larger than its athletic teams,” Board of Trustees vice chair John Surma said during a news conference.

“The Penn State board of trustees tonight decided it is in the best interest of the university to have a change in leadership to deal with the difficult issues that we are facing. The past several days have been absolutely terrible for the entire Penn State community. But the outrage that we feel is nothing compared to the physical and psychological suffering that allegedly took place.”

Speaking outside his home, Paterno said: “Right now, I’m not the football coach. And I’ve got to get used to that. After 61 years, I’ve got to get used to it. I appreciate it. Let me think it through.”

In a statement earlier Wednesday, Paterno said he was “absolutely devastated” by the abuse case. Sandusky has been charged with molesting eight boys over 15 years.

“This is a tragedy,” Paterno said. “It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”

Hindsight? You think Paterno would have been as passive if someone sodomized one of his family members? One of the most powerful persons in Pennsylvania, Paterno had the status to avoid future victims. He satisfied his legal obligation by reporting to his superiors. Superiors in title only. Paterno failed in his moral obligation. Failed miserably.

Why? Perhaps to protect the football program. Perhaps to protect the university. Perhaps to protect a longtime colleague. Certainly not to protect vulnerable children.

In 2002, graduate assistant Mike McQueary told Paterno of a sexual incident involving Sandusky and a young boy in the Penn State showers. Paterno notified athletic director Tim Curley and a school vice president, Gary Schultz, of the incident. It was not reported to law-enforcement officials.

Joe Paterno, molder of men. McQueary was 28 and presumably old enough to know right from wrong. No doubt McQueary figured any chances for a career at Penn State — and possibly anywhere — would vanish if he went to law-enforcement officials. And now, when McQueary loses his job, what school in its right mind would hire him? Not sure, but that does sound like irony.

Paterno can claim ignorance of certain realities, but that would be an ignorance of his choosing. And it was a horrific choice.

Nothing will make up for all the victims that Paterno and others allowed to occur because of their failure to do the right thing.

Ryann, Nicole Moneer Guerrero and Alexxa at the 2011 Midwest Ironman event.

You have to admit it’s much more appealing than video of Penn State students turning over vehicles or other random acts of stupidity.