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Education

Penn State Orders Paterno Statue to Be Taken Down

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As the Sandusky controversy began to heat up last year, Joe Paterno, long-time coach of Penn State’s football team and former god-like figure in college sports, testified in front of the court that he had no recollection or knowledge of the molestation charges set against his coaching sidekick, Jerry Sandusky. Soon after, JoePa passed away, leaving a loose end on his career and numerous questions still to be answered.

Enter Louis Freeh. The former FBI investigator stepped into the middle of the scandal and decided to conduct a wholly independent report of what actually went down at the University.
The discoveries were brutal: turns out that Paterno not only knew about Sandusky’s disgusting behavior but followed his encounters with young kids very closely. In 2001, he discovered what his partner was doing with children and decided to keep it to himself.
This all translates into one major thing: JoePa lied straight to the University’s face. Voila… we have the Penn State scandal.
Today, the University decided that, based on the report, there was no way in hell Paterno’s statue in the middle of campus can stay there any longer. The famous figure is leading four football players to victory but, after construction, looks like they’ll all be in found in the trash.

Here is the statement that the University released:

Throughout Penn State, the two most visible memorials to Coach Paterno are the statue at Beaver Stadium and the Paterno Library. The future of these two landmarks has been the topic of heated debate and many messages have been received in various University offices, including my own. We have heard from numerous segments of the Penn State community and others, many of whom have differing opinions. These are particularly important decisions when considering things that memorialize such a revered figure.

I now believe that, contrary to its original intention, Coach Paterno’s statue has become a source of division and an obstacle to healing in our University and beyond. For that reason, I have decided that it is in the best interest of our university and public safety to remove the statue and store it in a secure location. I believe that, were it to remain, the statue will be a recurring wound to the multitude of individuals across the nation and beyond who have been the victims of child abuse.

The Paterno Library will remain as a symbol of the academic contributions the family has made over the years to the school. The statue… not so lucky – this morning, it was found covered by a blue tarp.

 
Tomorrow, the NCAA will hold a press conference to address the penalties that will be inflicted upon the University based on the report’s findings. And the people there have already told the press that they will be “unprecedented.”