As a child protection advocate, I find Penn State trustee Ken Frazier’s words to be hollow (“Frazier issues apology,” CDT, Monday).
Frazier defends the Freeh report, which attempted to whitewash the failures of Pennsylvania’s child protection system to identify Jerry Sandusky as a child molester back in 1998. Frazier said the report was not chartered to find problems outside Penn State and that it was an internal review.
Nevertheless, the state’s and county’s failures in 1998 still showed through, even with the attempted whitewash by the Freeh group. The alumni and some Penn State trustees understand that Penn State officials were not alone when it came to those who could have done more to stop Sandusky.
As Fred Berlin said, “We can all do more.”
That would especially include Frazier, who barks the loudest about protecting children but hasn’t said a single word about the system that will let 40 children get murdered and another 25,000 get abused this year.
It is clear that Frazier and the rest of his November 2011 cohorts aren’t interested in learning about child abuse problems that occur off university property, nor do they appear to care.
The leadership of the state’s flagship university has decided not to address real reforms to make children across the state safer. That is turning a blind eye to the problem.
I call on Penn State’s leadership to call for the much-needed reforms to Pennsylvania’s child protection system.
To quote Phil LaPorta, “If we can’t do that, we shouldn’t be a university.”
RAY BLEHAR
ANNAPOLIS, MD.
Bravo, Ray! Can Penn State become a voice for child protection? Who will lead the charge?
ReplyDeleteIt will have to be Anthony Lubrano. His comments at Franco's Town Hall about this were excellent. He stated that is was "fortunate" that this happened at Penn State because we're the type of people who will take on the problem and fix it. We know Mr. Frazier won't be taking the lead.
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