Jerry Sandusky, I'd have throttled you myself.
I’ve been very public (and very emotionally public) about the Sandusky trial, my love for my alma mater Penn State, and disbelief at the sex scandal that not only occured, but was covered up by many trusted officials so called university leaders.
This is not the time, nor does anyone have the appetite for, laying blame. Everyone who knew and didn’t push this issue until Sandusky was stopped in his tracks is guilty. Plain and simple. Black and white. Good and evil.
But I can tell you with utter certainty that a woman in that leadership hierarchy would have stopped this bullshit (excuse my language, and sorry, Mom) at ONE CHILD.
Why? I’m not saying that all men are evil, and before any haters attack me (and I’m sure they will, they flock to me like white on rice) this is not a feminist issue.
This is a protection issue. The leadership team was made up of men: from the coaches to the university officials, and none of them included a female. A mother–and likely any woman–and I’m utterly convinced of this–would have heard about this, investigated it, pushed it, shouted it from the rooftops, stalked the media for coverage, and stormed Graham Spanier or Barack Obama’s office until someone
My big brother and I in Happy Valley, PSU vs. Ohio State, 2009, during happier times on campus.
listened to her. It’s that simple. We just typically don’t hear things and ignore them, hope they’ll go away, and hope that someone else takes care of it where a child is concerned. Especially a mother. Not because it’s a mother’s intuition, necessarily, but because it’s everyone’s job, but we’re willing to step up.
So, Penn State, leaders everywhere, I urge you to think about your leadership, the diversity not only of gender but of thought and emotion, background and family status, and make sure there are women and mothers on board. Because we deal with this kind of B.S. the right way: we protect kids no matter the cost.
I’m disgusted as an alumni, as a mother, as a Penn State fan, and most importantly, as a human being, and I’ll forever look upon leaders of any institution with skepticism and a questioning nature, just as I’ll look upon children with a keener eye on their welfare.
