Paterno E-Mail Shows Coach's Influence on Disciplinary Matters

[Are_grits_groceries]

Last edited Fri Jul 6, 2012, 06:36 AM - Edit history (2)

<snip>
The documents, which The Chronicle acquired from a source close to the Jerry Sandusky investigation, contradict comments made in recent days by Mr. Paterno's representatives suggesting that the coach never used e-mail or played a role in influencing university investigations.

The e-mails, from 2007, concern the handling of football players accused of beating up fellow students and suggest a pattern of Mr. Paterno's influence in disciplinary cases. Those e-mails have been turned over to officials investigating the Sandusky scandal.
<snip>
The 2007 disciplinary case stemmed from an off-campus fight involving as many as two dozen football players. After the incident, Mr. Paterno wrote to Graham B. Spanier, the university's president, and "Tim"—presumably Mr. Curley—through an e-mail account used by the coach's assistant, Sandi Segursky.
<snip>
Vicky Triponey, a former vice president of student affairs whose department was investigating the alleged attack by players, was copied on the correspondence between Mr. Paterno and Mr. Spanier.

She wrote back to the president, saying, "Thanks for sharing. I assume he is talking about discipline relative to TEAM rules (note: he does not say that). Obviously discipline relative to the law is up to the police and the courts, and discipline relative to violations of the student code of conduct is the responsibility of Judicial Affairs.

"This has not always been clear with Coach Paterno so we might want to clarify that and encourage him to work with us to find the truth and handle this collaboratively with the police and the university," she went on. "The challenge here is that the letter suggests that football should handle this and now Coach Paterno is also saying THEY will handle this and makes it look like the normal channels will be ignored for football players. "Can you remind them of police and University responsibility?"
<snip>
http://chronicle.com/article/article-content/132773/

And they claimed adamantly that poor Joe didn't know how to use email. Put all of them in jail.

In addition, in the case mentioned in the article, Paterno told his players not to cooperate with Triponey. She eventually resigned.

Saint and role model, my ass!

[ljm2002]

1. I'm glad this is coming out...

...it makes it very clear what Paterno's priorities were: his football program above all else. Such single-mindedness is a great asset in business (which is what football programs are) as it allows one to overcome obstacles without any second-guessing. Instead of questioning whether you should be doing something, you just steamroll all opposition. Problem solved.

We should not delude ourselves that this sort of thing is limited to Sandusky and Penn State and the Second Mile foundation. It took a certain form there, protection of a sexual predator. But the halls of power are filled with people who exploit others in one way or another, including sexually. For some reason, humans have this tendency to bow down to the alpha males and let them have their way. God(dess) knows why, I certainly don't.

[DCKit]

3. Don't forget Corbett's role in all of this.

He's filthy with this scandal.

[MadrasT]

4. +1

[malaise]

2. You know that I found his death in the middle of this scandal

most troubling - almost suspicious.

[Upton]

6. Paterno was 85 years old and had lung cancer..

and you find his death suspicious?

[MadrasT]

5. Yeah, this looks pretty bad:

"This has not always been clear with Coach Paterno so we might want to clarify that and encourage him to work with us to find the truth and handle this collaboratively with the police and the university," she went on. "The challenge here is that the letter suggests that football should handle this and now Coach Paterno is also saying THEY will handle this and makes it look like the normal channels will be ignored for football players. "Can you remind them of police and University responsibility?"

Not surprising at all, but still disappointing to me (it is my alma mater).