Joe Paterno Fired--Not Allowed to Resign

Gene J. Puskar, AP

Ham on Wry is posting an update to yesterday's blog about Joe Paterno's retirement.  Last night, the Penn State Board of Trustees unanimously voted to fire Joe Paterno, along with the expected ouster of Graham Spanier.  Paterno is pictured above with his wife Susan after receiving a call that delivered the news of his firing. The expression on their faces tells an emotional story.  They thanked well wishers and encouraged the football team to win the upcoming game against Nebraska.

After the announcement, thousands of students expressed their anger at the news that Paterno would not be allowed to finish the season.  They congregated at the administration building shouting that they wanted Joe back and then headed for Beaver Stadium, where some pushed over a news van and threw rocks to illustrate their frustration at the decision.

Some questions remain for the Board of Trustees in their handling of the sex scandal.  Despite the fact that Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President for Finance Gary Shultz were charged Tuesday for their mishandling of the situation by not reporting Jerry Sandusky's sexual misconduct and lying to a Grand Jury, they remain on the payroll at Penn State.  The university has expressed its support of the two, which not only defies logic, it also reveals a university in chaos.  Fire one, fire them all.

The Penn State sex scandal happened on a much smaller scale than the abomination which occurred in the Catholic Church's cover-up of priests sexually abusing children in their parish.  I thought that horrendous affair would serve as a lesson to others who are in positions of trust.  Jerry Sandusky obviously missed that point and has wreaked havoc on many people's lives.  Ham on Wry reminds readers that the real victims in this scandal are the children who suffered abuse and their families.  All others had choices about their actions.