Tuesday, January 30

Needed Solutions for the Nassar Problem

As the NCAA and Congress get ready to meddle in the Nassar case and waste everyone's time and money by figuring out who to punish for not reporting, here are the reforms that should be made to protect children from the Larry Nassar's of the world.

By
Ray Blehar
January 30, 2018, 8:13 PM EST

The NCAA and Congress are jumping into the Michigan State University (MSU) and USA Gymnastics failures with both feet to find out why there were reporting failures in those organizations.

If the NCAA does what it did in the Sandusky case -- the blame will be placed on the "culture" at MSU that favored athletics over common decency.  The results of the NCAA investigation will be unhelpful to protect against future sexual abuse of children at MSU or elsewhere.

The Congress has already passed a bill mandating that governing bodies of amateur sports must call police in the event of reports of child abuse.  It won't prevent another Nassar situation from occurring.

The familiar vows of University trustees that this "can never happen again" will also do nothing to stop the next Nassar because their views, like those of Congress and the NCAA,  are informed by sensational news reports -- and not the full facts of the case.

Speaking of facts, the NCAA, Congress, MSU, the media, and and the public need to accept this one:

Focusing corrective action on reporting alone will not make children any safer and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has the facts to prove it. 

Thursday, January 25

Heed Judge Aquilina's Call for a "Massive Investigation"

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina rightfully sentenced Larry Nassar to 175 years, however her call for a "massive investigation" is much more important.

By
Ray Blehar
January 25, 2018. 9:32 AM EST

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's sentencing of Larry Nassar will put him in prison for life and will ensure he never touches a child again.  That was pretty much expected given the amount of suffering Nassar caused. However, the Judge went well beyond expectations by calling for "a massive investigation" over the "inaction" and "silence" about Nassar's crimes.  


Aquilina's call for a "massive investigation" of "inaction" is on the mark


If her call for such an investigation is heeded it will be more beneficial than any of the partial (i.e., sports) investigations that have been initiated and/or are being proposed.  

As notpsu.blogspot.com reported on January 18th of this year, the Nassar case was veering in the wrong direction and becoming a sports story.  Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post, in a column seemingly unaware of the scope of Nassar's crimes, is calling for a Congressional investigation into USA Gymnastics.  That won't help stop another Nassar.

The decision by the NCAA to send a letter of inquiry to Michigan State University (MSU) regarding compliance with the NCAA Constitution -- similar to its actions in the Penn State University (PSU) Sandusky matter - will be similarly unhelpful.

Only the "massive investigation" (all-encompassing) that includes every organization that had an opportunity to stop Nassar, but didn't, will have the potential of educating the public about "nice guy" offenders and possibly prevent future abuse across our nation.

Tuesday, January 23

Nassar: No Blame, No Outrage

Columnists have weighed in on why there isn't as much outrage over the Nassar scandal as there was  over the Sandusky scandal.  Their columns get it partially right -- but go to fantasy land when opining that it's because of the gender of the victims.

By
Ray Blehar
January 23, 2018, 10:52 AM EST

A number of columnists are weighing in on the reasons why there is not as much outrage over Larry Nassar's crimes as there was over Jerry Sandusky's.

They get it partially right in recognizing there is far less national interest in gymnastics than there is for football and that Nassar was not a legendary coach, like Joe Paterno.  But that was so easy that Jemele Hill and everyone else could figure it out.

Buzzfeed's Jessica Luther surprised me when she correctly recognized that the outrage and repercussions at Penn State (and Baylor) were not because people actually care about victims. 

But then Luther and Hill both drove into fantasy land when they opined that there is less outrage because the victims were women or involved women's sports in the Nassar case.

Luther wrote:

"Sports media barely covers women’s sports and that coverage can be laced through with sexist ideas about how female athletes should look or behave (especially during the Olympics). "

Hill wrote:

"Until we accept the fact that predators go to school, church and work with us, coach our kids and date our daughters, the voices of abused girls and women will never regularly inspire courageous action on their behalf." 

They couldn't be more wrong.

Friday, January 19

MSU Almost Gets It Right - But Misses by A Million Miles

Calling for an independent review of the actions of MSU employees (by Michigan AG Schuette) is good, but that review will overlook the failures of many others who had a duty to protect children.  As a result, the lessons on how to detect the next Larry Nassar will be lost again and more children will be unnecessarily harmed.

By
Ray Blehar
January 19, 2018, 8:41 PM EST

The Michigan State University (MSU) Board of Trustees (BOT) has almost gotten it right by requesting Michigan Attorney General (AG) Bill Schuette to review the actions of MSU personnel with regard to the Larry Nassar case.

Almost.

Unfortunately, the MSU BOT is following a similar track as the Penn State University (PSU) BOT did with the Sandusky scandal and is foolishly asking for a review of its actions only.

The problem with this review is that it won't show how Nassar was able to similarly fool those outside the University, especially Michigan's Children's Protective Services (CPS), the Meridian Township Police, and the Ingham County Prosecutors office -- all public services entrusted with protecting society from criminals like Larry Nassar.

Kyle Stephens, the first victim to testify, spoke about being abused by Nassar in his basement starting when she was five years old.

At the beginning, she stated (my emphasis added):

“I’ve told counselors your name in hopes they would report you. I’ve told your name to Child Protective Services twice. I gave a testament to get your medical license revoked. You were first arrested on my charges. And now as the only nonmedical victim to come forward, I testify to let the world know you are a repulsive liar.”






Thursday, January 18

Distant Replay: Nassar Case Veering In Wrong Direction

Unfortunately, the lessons that should have been learned from the Sandusky scandal were lost in favor of the false narrative that PSU officials knew a pedophile was in their midst and covered it up to preserve the reputation of the University and its football program.  It appears we are in for a replay in the Larry Nassar case.

By
Ray Blehar
January 18, 2018, 12:10 PM EST

They "knew."

Everyone "knew."

As preposterous as it may seem, the media (ESPN, The Detroit News, et al) once again is propagating a false narrative that Michigan State University (MSU) officials, those at USA Gymnastics, and other organizations that Larry Nassar used to perpetrate child sexual victimization all "knew" what Nassar was doing.

Yes, many female athletes, some of them children, complained to MSU athletic officials, USA Gymnastics officials, and, yes, their stories are compelling and heart-breaking.

However, we are hearing those stories with the benefit of hindsight.  Nassar confessed and was convicted of being a serial child molester.

Did all of those people, who are the subjects of the media onslaught, actually "know" Nassar was a child molester at the time of the allegations?   Were they all turning a blind eye to Nassar's abuse?

Of course not.

ESPN called them "enablers."  And that's wrong.

Wednesday, January 10

No Coincidence, Part 2: The Non-Investigation of Sandusky & The Second Mile

The Washington Post story on the Sandusky scandal discounted the influence of The Second Mile on the Sandusky investigation, however Corbett's avoidance of the charity remains "inexplicable" and "doesn't pass the smell test."

By
Ray Blehar

January 10, 2018. 8:50 PM, EST

In Part 1, notpsu.blogspot.com laid out the circumstantial evidence supporting the scenario that Corbett used the Sandusky investigation for the purpose of eliminating his nemesis, former PSU President Graham Spanier.

Part 2 will show that Tom Corbett's statement that The "Second Mile had no influence on that investigation" is without merit and that the Washington Post shouldn't have dismissed the charity's influence without a full appraisal of the evidence.

From the Post:

"....McQueary unwittingly became part of a conspiracy engineered by former Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett (R). As Pennsylvania attorney general, Corbett oversaw the early stages of the Sandusky investigation, and as governor, Corbett was a member of the Penn State board that forced out Spanier, the school’s president. Blehar points out Corbett accepted campaign donations from Second Mile board members and had feuded with Spanier over state funding.
While outlandish, such theories gained currency in Pennsylvania. In 2013, newly elected Attorney General Kathleen Kane (D), who suggested on the campaign trail that Corbett slow-walked the Sandusky investigation and donations from Second Mile officials played a role, appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the state’s Sandusky investigation.
“The Second Mile had no influence on that investigation whatsoeverand there’s no evidence that they did,” Corbett said. “But [Penn State alumni] won’t accept that, will they?”

Penn State alumni have good reason not to accept that TSM didn't influence the investigation because they're among the few people who are familiar with the contents of the Moulton Report -- and aren't relying on media sound bites.

The Moulton Report clearly showed that the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and the Office of Attorney General (OAG) avoided the charity like the plague in the first two years of the investigation.

Former AG Kathleen Kane called it an "inexcusable" delay. Moulton called it an "inexplicable" delay.

Both are correct.

Thursday, January 4

No Coincidence, Part 1 - Corbett's Feud With Spanier

The Washington Post's recent story dismissed the theory that Tom Corbett's feud with Graham Spanier and that The Second Mile charity influenced the Sandusky investigation....but the evidence shows otherwise.

By
Ray Blehar

January 4, 2018, 8:03 PM, EST, Updated January 5, 2018, 4:08PM

The Washington Post's story on the Sandusky scandal covered a lot of ground and exposed many of the highly questionable decisions of the Penn State University Board of Trustees (PSU BOT) in the aftermath of the criminal trial and the Freeh Report.

One area it did not place much focus on was the unnecessarily protracted 3-year investigation that eventually brought Jerry Sandusky to justice -- and the evidence indicating that Governor Tom Corbett's feud with Spanier revived an investigation that was first sand-bagged by the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and then was sent to die a slow, secret death in Pennsylvania's grand jury system.

The Post, much like the rest of the media, seemingly relied on a single data point to label that scenario as "outlandish."   To be clear, reporter Will Hobson summarized the Moulton Report as follows:

"The inquiry concluded politics played no role in the Sandusky investigation..." 

However, that statement isn't accurate.  Special Deputy AG Geoffrey Moulton actually said the investigation:

 "revealed no direct evidence that electoral politics influenced any important decision made in the Sandusky investigation."

The Moulton Report is replete with circumstantial evidence that shows the investigation was going nowhere until Corbett's feud with Spanier and that the "release of the hounds" occurred right after his election.