Sandusky Coverup

Read the case:
Jerry Sandusky
Jerry Sandusky was arrested on November 5, 2011 and charged with seven counts of involuntary
deviant sexual intercourse, as well as eight counts of corruption of minors, eight counts of
endangering the welfare of a child, seven counts of indecent assault, and other offenses. This was
following Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly’s indictment of Sandusky on 40 counts of
sex crimes against young boys, following a three-year investigation including interviewing 430
people and reviewing 3.5 million documents.
Background:
The investigation was initiated in the spring of 2008, after Aaron Fisher, identified in court
papers as "Victim 1", then a freshman at Central Mountain High School in Mill Hall,
Pennsylvania, reported that Sandusky had been molesting him since he was 12 years old.
Fisher met Sandusky through The Second Mile in 2005 or 2006, when Sandusky began having a
relationship with Fisher involving "inappropriate touching". At the time of the alleged actions,
Sandusky was volunteering as an assistant high school football coach at Central Mountain High
School, where the assaults took place.
Mike McQueary, a then graduate assistant and later assistant coach at Penn State, initially
testified on December 14, 2010 to Pennsylvania's 30th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury. He
again testified on December 16, 2011 at the trial of Curley (then athletic director) and Schultz
(then university Senior Vice President for Finance and Business) that he was in the Lasch
Football Building on the University Park campus on a Friday night in March 2002. McQueary
testified he heard slapping sounds and saw Sandusky directly behind a boy whose hands were up
on the wall in the men's shower room. McQueary was distraught, left the building, and
subsequently called his father John McQueary, who told Mike to come over to his house right
away and talk to him.
While Mike McQueary was on the way to his father's, John McQueary called Dr. Jonathan
Dranov, his boss and family friend, seeking his advice. As President of Centre Medical and
Surgical Associates, Dr. Dranov testified that he questioned Mike three times about what
McQueary saw, and each time McQueary kept going back to what he heard. Because there was
no clear crime witnessed by McQueary, Dr. Dranov and John McQueary recommended
McQueary talk to head football coach Joe Paterno.
On Saturday morning, McQueary called Paterno to arrange a meeting, and the two met at
Paterno's home later that same morning. McQueary testified he gave a rough report of what he
had seen, but that out of respect, he did not share more intimate details. Paterno left for
Pittsburgh to attend an awards ceremony shortly after meeting with McQueary, and did not
return to State College until late Saturday night or Sunday morning. On Sunday morning,
Paterno called then athletic director Timothy Curley regarding the incident. Curley, along with
then university Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Gary Schultz both went to
Paterno's home that same day, and Paterno told them what McQueary had reported to him and
advised them that because McQueary had not provided details to Paterno, he recommended that
they speak directly to McQueary. In his grand jury testimony, Paterno said that he was only told
about Sandusky "fondling or doing something of a sexual nature" to the victim.
On Monday, Curley and Schultz reported the incident to Graham Spanier, who was President of
Penn State University at the time. Spanier told them to meet with the graduate assistant. He was
not told the identity of this person to be McQueary. Nine or ten days later, the date is unknown,
McQueary received a phone call from Curley regarding the incident, and set up a meeting with
Curley and Schultz in the Bryce Jordan Center either that same afternoon or the next day to go
over the details of what had happened in the shower room. Curley and Schultz both denied
having been told about alleged anal intercourse. Curley denied that McQueary reported anything
of a sexual nature whatsoever, and described the conduct as merely "horsing around". Graham
Spanier likewise testified that he was only apprised of an incident involving Jerry Sandusky and
a younger child "horsing around in the shower".
"After giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe Paterno," Tim Curley said, he instead
wanted to tell Sandusky "we feel there is a problem" and would offer him "professional help."
If Sandusky was cooperative, Curley said, according to the report, "we would work with him" to
inform Sandusky's charity for troubled youth, the Second Mile. If Sandusky did not cooperate,
Curley said, "We don't have a choice and will inform" the state Department of Public Welfare
and the Second Mile. After the charges came to light, former Penn State President Graham
Spanier issued a statement in which he said Curley and Schultz had his unconditional support,
and saying they "operate at the highest levels of honesty." Spanier was criticized for expressing
support for Curley and Schultz, and failing to express any concern for Sandusky's alleged
victims. Spainer was ousted a few days after Sandusky’s arrest by the Trustees and evidence
came to light that he was copied on emails between Curley and Schultz concerning Sandusky’s
actions. Additionally, when President Spanier was informed of Curley decision to offer to ‘get
help’ for Sandusky rather than report him, Spanier stated in an email “This approach is
acceptable to me. The only downside for us is if the message isn’t ‘heard’ and acted upon, and
we then become vulnerable for not having reported it. But that can be assessed down the road.
The approach you outline is humane and a reasonable way to proceed.”
Curley then met with Sandusky and told Sandusky he was not to be using Penn State's athletic
facilities with any young people, and Curley reported the incident to Jack Raykovitz, the CEO of
The Second Mile (a state-licensed charity for disadvantaged youth established by Sandusky), and
also Sandusky’s boss at the time. The Second Mile fell under the direct supervision and authority
of Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare and was a contractor of the local county office
of Children and Youth Services. Raykovitz was also a highly trained professional on handling
such allegations. Raykovitz reported the incident to two Board Members of The Second Mile,
Bruce Heim and Bob Poole, and told Sandusky to wear shorts in the shower in the future.
Despite Penn State banning Sandusky from bringing boys onto the main campus in 2002, he was
allowed to operate a summer camp through his Sandusky Associates company from 2002 to
2008 at Penn State's Behrend satellite campus near Erie, where he had daily contact with boys
from fourth grade to high school. Victims also commonly reported that Sandusky would place
his hand on their thighs or inside the waistband of their underpants. Two recounted oral sex with
Sandusky, sometimes culminating in his ejaculation. Penn State janitor James Calhoun
reportedly observed Sandusky giving oral sex to an unidentified boy in 2000, but Calhoun in
2012 was in a nursing home suffering from dementia; he was deemed not competent to testify.
According to the final grand jury testimony, the assaults took place in Sandusky's basement, at
one of the victim's high school, in Sandusky's car, in the Lasch Football Building at Penn State's
University Park campus, Toftrees Golf Resort and Conference Center, the East Area Locker
Rooms on Penn State University campus, and a hotel room in Texas. At least 20 of the incidents
were said to have taken place while Sandusky was still employed by Penn State.
Higher Level Coverup?
One child's mother reported an incident to Penn State police when he came home with his hair
wet. After an investigation by Detective Ronald Shreffler, Centre County District Attorney Ray
Gricar chose not to prosecute. Shreffler testified before the Grand Jury that director of the
campus police, Thomas Harmon, told him to drop the case. University police eavesdropped on
conversations during which the mother confronted Sandusky about the incident. He admitted to
showering with other boys and refused to discontinue the practice. District Attorney Gricar was
not available to testify, as he had disappeared in 2005.Gricar’s car was found in Lewisburg, Pa
April 15, 2005 and his computer was recovered from the Susquehanna River 3 months later.
The first grand jury investigation began in 2009 under then Attorney General, who later became
Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Corbett. This was Pennsylvania's 30th Statewide Investigating
Grand Jury. They subpoenaed records from both Penn State and the Second Mile, and heard
testimony from Victim 1, Aaron Fisher, Mike McQueary, Joe Paterno, Tim Curley, Gary
Schultz, Victim 7, Graham Spanier, Victim 4, and Ronald Petrosky (PSU Janitor). This grand
jury did not recommend indictment.
Grand Jury Findings:
Senior vice president Gary Schultz and Athletic Director Tim Curley were found to be not
credible by the grand jury. The two administrators were charged with grand jury perjury and
failure to report suspected child abuse. The indictment accused Curley and Schultz of not only
failing to tell the police, but falsely telling the grand jury that Mike McQueary never informed
them of sexual activity. Sandusky was then released on $250,000 bail pending trial. Curley and
Schultz appeared in a Harrisburg courtroom where a judge set bail at $75,000 and required them
to surrender their passports.
Penn State officially banned Sandusky from all campuses on November 6, 2011. Later that day,
Curley was placed on administrative leave, and Schultz resigned to go back into retirement.
President Spanier was relieved of his duties a few days later.
The lead investigator, former FBI director Louis J. Freeh, said at a press conference "Our most
saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Jerry
Sandusky's child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State," "The most powerful men at
Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized."
The Board of Trustees recommended an overall change in leadership and sought individuals with
strong skills to deal with conflict and change the entire culture of Penn State athletics.
Mike McQueary has yet to find another job. He has been blackballed in the athletic community.
This bond of silence make the story even more upsetting.
Question 1:
Briefly state your overall evaluation of the handling of the Sandusky case. Summarize the leadership failures, including the personal responsibility and accountability. Evaluate what attempts were made to address the conflicts and why they were not successful.
Question 2:
What actions should be taken to avoid these missteps in the future?
Question 3:
Why was Mike McQueary treated as a snitch rather than a hero? What does this say about the coverup? What does this say about the courage it takes to be ethical?