...Penn State Scandal Everything was looking good for Joe Paterno and Penn State football as his football managing career rose with an overall record of 298-136-3 but in 2011, all that changed. Back in 2000 a janitor of Penn State witnessed Sandusky receiving oral sex from a young boy, the janitor reported what he saw to co-workers and his supervisor but none of these men reported these actions to authorities. It wasn’t until November 5, 2011 that Sandusky was arrested on a $100,000 bail and up to 40 criminal counts. ESPN were quickly in the scene to investigate and report the allegations on Sandusky. They quickly reported saying Sandusky was charged with more than 50 counts of child sex-abuse involving 10 boys he met through The Second Mile, a children's charity he founded. New York Times went on to report Sandusky has been accused of these charges before hand and action was never taken until now. 2 days after Sandusky’s arrest, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz stepped down from their positions, also being facing charges for not notifying the police for Sandusky’s actions. On December 16, 2011, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz were held for trial. "I don't remember any reports to me that it was sexual in nature," Mr. Curley told the grand jury, a statement prosecutors contend was a lie (Schmitz) Tim Curley allegedly said he did not report anything to the authorities because he felt a crime never occurred. This controversy led...
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...Penn State is an isolated, respected institution that often has done what it wanted. It has the power to ignore ethical issues, at least at times. This is not unique to Penn State but would be true of many institutions and people with great power. Both conscious desires to make money and maintain prestige, and unconscious denial served to maintain a child abuser, Jerry Sandusky, as a football coach for many years, with many victims. (Eisenman, 2013) Everything was looking good for Joe Paterno and Penn State football in 2011. The team was 8-1 and riding an emotional high. Then it all came crashing down. Back in 2001 a graduate assistant coach of Penn State wasn’t exactly sure what he saw but a former Assistant Coach named Jerry Sandusky was showering with a boy from his local charity. It sounded to him like horseplay but wasn’t sure so he went and reported it to the head coach Joe Paterno. The ensuing scandal brought down longtime coach Joe Paterno, who was fired by university trustees amid growing criticism that he should have done more to stop the alleged abuse.” (Marklein, 2011) McQueary changed his story saying he e-mailed his friends and colleagues, saying that he had stopped Sandusky from abusing the boy when he saw it and that he had also reported the abuse to police. The local and campus police denied his statements that brought him into deeper trouble. When he reported it to the coach he was so flustered he couldn’t even report correctly what he saw, so Coach Paterno...
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...Abstract This paper will delve into the scandal that took the sports world by storm and led to a number of firings and lawsuits by both athletic coaches and even a president of a college university. The former Defensive Coordinator at Penn State Jerry Sandusky was accused and convicted of sexual abuse of multiple minors. This tragedy, better known as the Jerry Sandusky scandal, showcased a number of mistakes made by high ranking officials within Penn State University along with the former Head Football coach and former leader in wins at the NCAA level. Not only was there a lack of institutional control on behalf of the Head Coach, Athletic Director, and president, there were also a number of signs that were ignored. There are a number of theories as to why this scandal became what it was. Did it become this way due to employees fear repercussion for uncovering the truth? Or perhaps the culture was so controlled by a 85 year old Head Football Coach? The goal of this paper is to look at the facts presented in the case discover what truly led to the downfall of one of the most well-known NCAA Football programs in history. In 2011, news began to break of a disturbing incident that had taken place at one of the most well-known universities in the nation. Former Penn State University Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Gerald “Jerry” Sandusky was accused of sexually abusing a number of young boys while employed by the university as well as after his retirement. In...
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...Joe Paterno is a famous football coach at Penn State. As a college football coach, he has won more games than any college coach, active or retired. He made Penn State an elite football program. During his time, he has won multiple championship and bowl games. Joe Paterno was a mentor and teacher to many football players and students. When any student who goes to Penn State, he or she will know the name of Joe Paterno. Even so, he faced an ethical issue that will haunt his legacy. A man named Jerry Sandusky coached under Joe Paterno. Police accused Jerry Sandusky of sexually molesting and arrested him for doing this. Another coach who witnessed Jerry Sandusky sexually molesting a boy told Joe Paterno. After Joe Paterno gained knowledge of the situation, he informed his athletic director. Both he and his athletic director did not call the police. The ethical issue for Joe Paterno was covering up for Jerry Sandusky while not calling the police. What seems to be the basis of the issue? Abbie Identify ground rules that manifested the situation. Abbie What ethical change, deficiency, or conflict brought it about? MELISSA The incident that brought scandal to Penn State University is the allegations of child molestation and endangerment that Jerry Sandusky, Penn State assistant football coach, was accused of. The ethical deficiency that this situation displays is the leadership of Penn State did not report an issue that required multiple...
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...Institute of Technology Table of Contents Abstract ……………………………………………………… 3 A Brief History ……………………………………………………… 4 Sandusky ……………………………………………………… 6 The First Signs ……………………………………………………… 8 Hasty Decisions ……………………………………………………… 9 Instances ……………………………………………………… 11 References ……………………………………………………… 12 Abstract In 2011 the world of college football was rocked with the news that Penn State’s former defensive coordinator, Gerald Sandusky, was being charged with numerous counts of deviant child molestation and sexual child abuse. With that news, Penn State administrators took it upon themselves to hastily convict the football team’s head coach, Joseph V. Paterno, and terminated him without benefit of judge or jury of his peers. Judged, Juried, and Executed A Brief History State College. Happy Valley. Mount Nittany. Penn State. Joe Paterno. JoePa. All names that bring to mind, the Penn State Nittany Lions. Joseph V. Paterno came from a working-class, Catholic, Italian-immigrant family in New York State. Joe and his brother would spend hours playing football in Flatbush with the neighborhood kids. His father worked two and three jobs so that Joe and his brother, George, could attend an elite Brooklyn...
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...The Penn State Scandal: Destructive Leadership Perspective The Penn State Scandal: Destructive Leadership Perspective Abstract The Penn State scandal stressed the involvement of key players in a web of deception, cover-up and sexual accusations of children. Those key players stressed in the case were Jerry Sandusky and Joe Paterno. Jerry Sandusky was accused of sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15 year period. Sandusky was ultimately found guilty of these charges. Other well-known names, such as Joe Paterno, were arrested and charged with conspiracy because of their failure to report the child abuse. This scandal rocked the Penn State community. Mainly because their culture was driven by a strong college sports influence. Many people wondered how such a strong community of leaders could allow something so awful to happen for so long. Observers of the scandal tended to frame the events in terms of individuals behaving badly or irresponsibly (Alderfer, 2013). So many focus on the leaders involved and neglect to identify an organization as a whole when discussing issues. Many people will participate in the destruction of an organization whether knowingly or not. Why do so many fail to identify all the elements in leadership? What other factors besides leadership contribute to destruction of an organization? Many areas were researched in regards to the organizational leadership of this paper. This paper will evaluate the destructive leadership of Penn State as a whole...
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...The scandal at Penn State that was the cause of Jerry Sandusky performing questionable acts of sexual child abuse has devastated the environment at the university. As a crisis management consultant, I would analyze the preconditions that took place before the crimes began. The scandal that consisted of Jerry Sandusky performing sexual child abuse has put Penn State in a position where the word difficult would be an understatement. The amount of backlash the university is receiving from every portion of the stakeholders is overwhelming. The media, students, parents, and faculty are all concerned with the university. As a crisis management consultant I require Penn State to be as proactive as possible. The university must understand the position...
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...Case of the Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal Kelley Griffin OL-500 Human Behavior in Organization Southern New Hampshire University Lisa Wright March 23, 2013 Organizational Behavior in the Case of the Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal In 2012, “former Penn State defensive coordinator Gerald “Jerry" Sandusky was found guilty of sexual abuse. . . . He was accused of sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period in a scandal that has rocked the university's community” (Chappell, 2012, para. 1). When the story of Jerry Sandusky broke to the press, the University board believed the investigation currently underway at their university was solely concerning Jerry Sandusky, but unbeknownst to them, the organizational breakdown of Penn State was involved in the investigation as well. The investigation analyzed documents and conversations from Penn State’s leaders that spanned from 1998 to 2011. What came to light was that Sandusky, a renowned alumni of 32 years, ex-Penn State football coach, and an active member in youth charity programs, had been sexually harassing minors on and off university property. In addition, at various points during this time frame, leaders in various positions within Penn State’s organization knew of these accounts and did nothing about it. This report aims to focus on how the organizational culture as well as the breakdown in leadership responsibilities, aided in the allowance of such acts to continue at the university over the course...
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...In the late 1960’s Jerry Sandusky was hired by Penn State University as a coach. Sandusky abused young boys for decades before he was punished. Notice I said punish and not caught. Meaning high-ranking individuals of this college were aware of this catastrophe and did nothing to help or protect the victims. However, school officials did meet amongst each other and also with law enforcement where the issues were discussed but swept under the rug. However, the disturbing news about Sandusky was kept quiet until a mother reported that he had showered with her 11-year-old son. Although it was reported to law enforcement no crime was found, Sandusky was ordered not to shower with children. Penn State Officials were aware of this crisis situation instead of them helping they tried to handle it amongst each other. Penn State Officials allowed Sandusky to continue on with this scandal. They were aware that he was always around children, he was still allowed full access to Penn State where he worked with young men, and also helped and worked with underprivileged kids through a charity he founded....
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...Josh Bullock RHW 102 Dr. Tenger 23 October 2014 Sandusky Scandal Jerry Sandusky was once seen in the eyes of many as a well-respected individual, and an astounding assistant coach for the Penn State University football team. Once the scandal arose of him sexually abusing children, eventually leading to his conviction of sexual harassment crimes, his whole reputation and all that he had worked for his entire coaching career was lost. No one could really grasp what had occurred at first, especially those who worked with him, for so many years he was seen as such a remarkable coach, person, and as a role model for young people. Tavris and Aronson state in their book, Mistakes Were Made But Not By Me, “Because most people have a reasonably positive self-concept, believing themselves to be competent, moral, and smart, their efforts at reducing dissonance will be designed to preserve their positive self-images” (29). With Sandusky being put in a light as such an overall good person it was hard for individuals to think that he could do something so appalling. Leon Festinger, a social psychologist, is referenced by Tavris and Aronson in the opening chapter of this book saying, “The engine that drives self-justification, the energy that produces the need to justify our actions and decisions -especially the wrong ones- is an unpleasant feeling that Festinger called cognitive dissonance” (13). “Cognitive dissonance is a state of tension that occurs whenever a person holds two cognitions...
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...The Jerry Sandusky scandal at the University of Pennsylvania State affected multiple organizational functions such as management, marketing, the alumni, the faculty, human resources, and the students. To begin with, the board of trustees was required to explain why they employed a pedophile for three decades, and why Sandusky was permitted to use university facilities to facilitate the molestation of young boys even after his retirement as a football coach (Crandall, Parnell, Spillan, 2014). Furthermore, the university negotiated multiple settlements resulting in millions spent without substantiating the veracity of the victim's claims, which financially affected every aspect of Penn State University's organizational functions (Hobson, 2017). Additionally, top members of the university were fired or forced to resign from their positions due to evidence those members suppressed Sandusky's actions for several years. Consequently, the scandal affected the marketing of the Penn State football team, since they were banned from bowl game appearances and the university was required to pay the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) 60 million dollars in fines...
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...In reviewing the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State, we find that assistant football coach and founder of The Second Mile (a charitable organization geared towards disadvantaged youth ) Jerry Sandusky is accused of child sexual abuse and related charges stemming from inappropriate behavior with male youth while in his care. In May of 1998, a report is made by the mother of a male child to University Police that Sandusky had showered with her son during a visit to the university campus. An investigation into an allegation of misconduct of Sandusky by the University failed to yield evidence of a crime and was closed. The University Police detective issued Sandusky a reprimanding, advising him to refrain from showing with any other children. was not forthcoming as brought out later in the investigation and knowledge of prior similar misconduct was dismissed by officials. Further, as stated in the grand jury report as reported by CNN, “Psychologist Alycia Chambers tells Penn State police that Sandusky...
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...Penn State has done something truly remarkable the past few years. Not only have they resurrected their football program, they’ve restored it as a powerhouse in college football. With continued effort and divine help in the coming years, the Nittany Lions could soon compete for a national championship with head coach James Franklin deserving the credit. Franklin, who the university hired in January 2014, filled the void left by Bill O’Brien, who fled the college to coach the NFL’s Houston Texans. Penn State hired O’Brien in January 2012 to take over for interim head coach Tom Bradley, who had spent more than 30 years at Penn State. That brings us to who Bradley filled in for. It has been six years since Penn State unceremoniously axed Joe Paterno, as well as several other big wigs at the school. It’s well known that Paterno was fired because of the child sex abuse scandal involving longtime assistant Jerry Sandusky, but it’s still amazing how much the scandal lingers in the American psyche....
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...The Jerry Sandusky scandal is about the allegations that were brought upon a onetime local hero committing sex crimes to the youth. Sandusky once played for the Penn State University football team and is a retired assistant coach from this institution. In the year of 1977, he began a non-profit organization, The Second Mile, which was created to serve the underprivileged youth of Pennsylvania. By the end of year 2009, he had molested 10 young boys through his non-profit organization; these boys were singled out for sexual advances between the years 1994 and 2009. In November of 2011, Sandusky was charged with 52 counts of child molestation (IBTimes, 2016). The first allegation came from a high school boy in the year of 2008, stating that he...
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...A Matter of Ethics John Hilger Ashford University Personal and Organizational Ethics PHI 445 Stephen Carter February 07, 2014 A Matter of Ethics Business ethics is something that all companies and organizations need to be mindful of. It isn’t something that just the large and powerful for-profit organizations need to worry about, but it is something that not for-profit organizations have to be cautious as well. I plan to show how two large well known institutions failed to live up to these. Penn State is one of the more widely recognized leaders in higher education. It first came into existence in 1855, when the Commonwealth chartered it as one of the nation’s first colleges of agricultural science. And it’s goal was to apply scientific principles to farming. Penn State’s main campus is located in the small city of State College; State College is a quintessential college town with small eateries and quirky little shops that line the streets. There are a total of 24 locations of the campus throughout the Pennsylvania area. Penn State’s tax exempt status is the same as most not for profit state schools and the company is 501c3. Through my research I was unable to find out the date that it was granted or if there was an umbrella organization. According to Penn State’s Alumni Insider from their December 2009 Issue, there are 44,000 full-time and part-time employees at all of the locations. One of the biggest obstacles that any and all institutions of higher learning...
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