Showing posts with label Joe Paterno. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Paterno. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 28

Franco Harris: We Are In This Together

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” --Buddha

In the first year or so after the Sandusky scandal broke, we continuously faced setback after setback in our quest for the Truth and during that time the media had their own agenda and created a false narrative about Penn State and Joe Paterno that still exists today. This false narrative created fear and people distanced themselves from Joe and Penn State.
However, this past Saturday night Joe Paterno was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. I believe this is the first honor bestowed upon Joe since the scandal. Jay Paterno accepted this honor on behalf of his father and the Paterno family. He gave an amazing speech that I can only describe as a “moment of Truth” for the world to hear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaBexQx9rmo&feature=youtu.be (watch speech)

 http://www.votejaypaterno.com/#!pa-hall-of-fame-speech/sizgc (read speech)

 Joe told us to find the Truth. I know it’s been tough and we have faced many difficult challenges, but we won’t give up, we will keep seeking the Truth.
We are not there yet, but this honor shows that we are moving forward and that our path to the Truth is having an impact. “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

We want people to know that this has never been about football. This is beyond football. This is about who WE ARE. It’s what we do that defines us.

Penn State is our second home. Joe Paterno is our family.

WE ARE in this together.

Franco 10/26/15

Image result for We Are Because You Were







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Monday, October 26

Jay Paterno: HoF Speech Calls Out False Narrative

Jay Paterno calls out "false narrative" during Hall of Fame tribute to his father.

By
Ray Blehar
At Joe Paterno's Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Jay Paterno took to the microphone to give a speech before receiving the honor on behalf of his father.

 But rather than simply pay tribute to the accomplishments of his father, Jay did exactly as his father would have done.
Confronted "false narrative" head on 
Jay recognized that the honor given to Joe Paterno was an honor shared by all Penn Staters.  He also made the point that you don't have to have a degree from Penn State to be a Penn Stater.  It was -- is -- about a shared set of values.

 Success with honor.

 Much like myself, Jay really didn't think much about the removal of Joe Paterno's statue.  The bronze cast of Joe, with his finger raised aloft for number one, wasn't the Joe we all knew.   

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Tuesday, May 20

TAKE BACK PENN STATE NOW. An Opportunity to Reclaim Penn State for the Open TRUTH -

Take back Penn State from those who caused the damage and now want to hide the TRUTH. 

PENN STATE OPPOSES PATERNO FAMILY REQUEST TO SEE FREEH DOCUMENTS.

WE ARE PENN STATE - SAYS THE SLOGAN 
WHAT PENN STATE OPPOSES THAT REQUEST?  
Penn State via its legal counsel, speaking for the administration and Board of Trustees, is opposing open display of the TRUTH by opposing the release of documents related to the Freeh Report. It is believed that such materials are not only being withheld from public view but are also being withheld from some members of the Board of Trustees themselves. Yet Penn State has repeatedly argued for transparency and open disclosure, as represented by the alumni who voted for new Trustees who advocate such transparency and responsibility. The motion filed by Penn State's counsel makes it seem like Penn State wants to hide the TRUTH.  

Make no mistake – Stephen Dunham, the University General Counsel and Vice President for the last two years, is opposing the revelation of the TRUTH in your name. He acts at the behest of the Board of Trustees.
Do Penn State's Alumni Elected Trustees oppose the release of these documents? No.
Do Penn State Alumni oppose the release? No.  Does the student body? No. 

Why would Penn State want to hide the TRUTH about the Freeh Report?
Is Dunham afraid the actual documents will show that the Freeh Report was fatally flawed? Would the documents show that Freeh manufactured his damning evidence that Penn State administrators were involved in some cover up of Sandusky's activities?

Help me out here. Who would be harmed if the documentation supports the Freeh findings? Tim Curley, Gary Schultz and Graham Spanier are already under indictment and evidently headed to trial. Joe Paterno's reputation is already in tatters. So what is the potential harm to Penn State if the documents confirm the Freeh Findings? 

Let's keep this very simple:

What SMSS wants is the TRUTH - and the release of this documentation is relevant to that search for Truth.  Isn't that something we can all agree is a good thing?

The Paterno family is obviously searching for the TRUTH in order to prove that Joe was innocent of any wrong doing. If they are correct and these documents prove their point it's a good thing for Penn State. Joe Paterno's legacy was great for Penn State and if it can be shown that Freeh was wrong and Joe did not do anything that could be construed as covering up for Sandusky his reputation could be restored and his legacy could once again become a positive aspect of Penn State's reputation of SUCCESS WITH HONOR.


 The only people who stand to lose if Joe is fully exonerated seem to be the Freeh team and those people at Penn State who hired him and then chose to ratify his findings without bothering to read the report. Those people are Tom Corbett, John Surma and the BoT members who were unduly influenced to fire Joe, hire Freeh, and accept the NCAA sanctions. 

So we have a very interesting situation that should be addressed by all trustees, but undoubtedly led by the Alumni Trustees. It seems that Stephen Dunham has either taken it upon himself or has been instructed by the faction in control of the Board to oppose the release of these documents.  So as members of the Board of Trustees is it not your duty to make your opinion known to the General Counsel and any elements on the Board that support his objection to this release of documents? If you are not in favor of that move on behalf of PENN STATE you should now make that known. 
PENN STATE should want the TRUTH revealed. Is PENN STATE the Trustees who were openly elected by the Alumni? OR is PSU the cronies and appointees of Tom Corbett – the man who convened the grand jury that accused Penn State via its administrators and then became the Governor with power over so many trustees with the fiduciary duty to protect Penn State from his attack on Penn State launched as Attorney General?  

PS4RS and the other anti-"move-on" groups who helped defeat the "move-on" candidates should  encourage the trustee's they helped to elect openly oppose this move by Stephen Dunham. 

A vote on this would clearly show PENN STATE alumni and students who has the university's best interests at heart. The TRUTH is in Penn State's best interest and this is a chance to call for a vote by the Board of Trustees. A vote to instruct the General Counsel to withdraw his objections and to file a brief in favor of the release of these documents is a vote for revealing the TRUTH. Any board member who opposes it is in favor of hiding the TRUTH.

It really is that simple. You either want the TRUTH or you want to hide the TRUTH
Call for a vote and don't let those who oppose the Truth hide. 

 WE ARE PENN STATE - says the slogan. 
Don't allow Dunham and Corbett to be Penn State. Neither one of them even attended PSU. They should not have the right to speak for the real PENN STATE anymore than I do. .  
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Wednesday, April 16

Joe Paterno and Alfred Dreyfus - THE PENN STATE CULTURE

THE DREYFUS AFFAIR REDUX by Joseph A Cattano Ph.D Penn State  

First a reminder:  The Dreyfus Affair, a political scandal that divided France 1894 until its resolution in 1906, is one of the most striking examples of a miscarriage of justice with a major role by media and public opinion. 

THE DREYFUS AFFAIR REDUX   
note: Written a year ago edits made to bring current. 

           Before sharing my thoughts regarding the tragedy that occurred at Penn State University, I will preface my discussion with the necessary statement that children were the tragic victims of harm and a reckless insensitivity by a sexual predator that will stay with them for years.  As a mental health professional who has worked with the victims of sexual abuse, I fully appreciate the scope of emotional issues and he horrid “soul murder” of a child who has experienced sexual abuse.There is no question that those responsible for this tragedy should face both criminal and civil prosecution and be held accountable for their actions.

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Wednesday, April 9

CORBETT, SURMA, FRAZIER, TOMALIS & BALDWIN - UNCOMMONLY CLEAR CONFLICTS OF INTEREST PART 1 A

Eight days after the Nov 9, 2011 firing of Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier, Corbett, Frazier, Surma, Garban, and Balwin had Louis Freeh in place as the "INDEPENDENT" executioner for Penn State demanding complete collusion with Attorney General of Pennsylvania Linda Kelly.  
"The hiring of Louis Freeh is synonymous with an institution paying $8.2 million to concoct evidence supporting its own guilt and liability. Why would any institution in its right mind fund such an effort? It's insanity, clearly demonstrating the conflicted interests that are the point of this article. The Freeh insanity depicts Penn State as a schizophrenic trying to convict itself of a crime imagined in the fevered mind of its own alter-ego, the Board of Trustees." 
In Part I CORBETT & SURMA - UNCOMMONLY COMPLETE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
the roots of the damaging decisions of the Board of Trustees were exposed, showing why Corbett, Surma and Corbett's appointees should have recused themselves from the Nov 9th meeting that resulted in the termination of President Spanier and Joe Paterno.

 Although I have followed these events very closely since Linda Kelly's Presentment drew my interest on Nov 5, 2011; I was very surprised to find the enclosed documents among the 300 made available by Ryan Bagwell. They verify the 8 day timeline and actually confirm the effort to restrict the special investigation group to a tightly controlled Cobett conflicted few. 
If you want further confirmation that the events of Nov 9, 2011 were a well-planned and executed strategy on the part of the Attorney General turned Governor Tom Corbett and his willing Joe hating partner John Surma, then take a quick look at this timeline. Have you ever seen any sizable governing body move this quickly?


TIMELINE  NOV 5, 2011 Penn State stands accused at the moment Linda Kelly decides to put equal sized posters of AD Tim Curley and VP Gary Schultz on her Presentment stage along side of a poster of Jerry Sandusky,  There was simply no equivalence involved in the crimes of which they are accused thus the display was part of a strategy to anchor a narrative of PSU enabling Sandusky's abuse.

The verifiable LIE in that presentment; that Mike McQueary saw a boy being "subjected to anal rape" on the Penn State campus was tied to Curley and Schultz in another LIE - that McQueary told this to Joe Paterno and then to the two PSU administrators.  Those lies created the media tsunami that made Penn State the equal villain in the public eye.
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Monday, April 7

CORBETT & SURMA - UNCOMMONLY COMPLETE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

WHO REPRESENTED PENN STATE'S BEST INTERESTS IN NOV. 2011?

PART ONE - THE MAJOR CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

“In general, the most conventional form of a conflict of interest involves money—typically, an institutional decision maker has some kind of financial stake in the outcome of the decision.  A conflict can also arise when the decision maker has a non-monetary stake in the outcome of a decision—for example, a personal relationship, prestige, or career advancement.” 

by Barry Bozeman
Tom Corbett Embarrassed Trustee
Tom Corbett served as Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 2004 until he assumed office as Governor on January 18, 2011.

 The Governor is automatically placed on the Penn State Board of Trustees. He also appoints six (6) members, in addition to his choices for PA Secretaries of Education, Conservation, and Agriculture, who sit on the Board along with a non-voting personal representative. This block of Trustees depends on the Governor for their positions, effectively making him the single most powerful presence in both voting power and influence.


Six (6) members of the Board are known as Business and Industry Trustees. These members are "self -selected" by an arcane procedure far from being transparent or apparent to those outside the process. Another six (6) members of the Board are known as Agriculture Trustees, who are selected through a county-by-county vote of the Commonwealth's agricultural societies (i.e., the PA Grange and the PA Farm Bureau).  We will discuss the business relationships of most of these members and the influence the Governor holds over them in our next installment.

Nine (9) members are elected by Alumni, the most independent and democratically selected group. That's only 9 members to attempt to balance 11 of the Governor's directly controlled members plus 6 each from Business & Industry and from Agriculture.

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Sunday, March 30

VICTOR B SURMA DIES IN NEW YORK JAN 26, 2014 ------- THE SURMA VENDETTA REVISITED

By Barry Bozeman

Back in September of 2012 we posted two stories that have been two of the most read in the history of this website. Tragic news came to our attention over a week ago that led us to revisit this information and it's effect on the defamation suffered by Penn State. As you read this information we ask two very important questions: Was it proper for John Surma to lead the Board of Trustees to fire Joe Paterno? Was John Surma's action during that meeting influenced by what had happened to his nephew Victor B. Surma? 

For a week we have had multiple independent sources telling us in confidence that Victor Benjamin Surma dIed of a heroin overdose and the Surma family had gone to considerable lengths to keep his death quiet. There was no public notice or obituary - only word of a closed small private memorial service for family and the closest of friends. We have hesitated to publish this information out of sympathy for the family. Finally tonight an obituary for Victor B. Surma appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune.

 Obituary for Victor Benjamin Surma
Victor B. Surma, of Upper St. Clair and New York City, N.Y., passed away earlier this year in Manhattan, N.Y. Born July 20, 1983, he was a son of Dr. Victor J. and Kathy (Keim) Surma;
We found a Facebook statement that Vic died on Jan 26, 2014 written by his mother Kathy Surma on March 28th and we suspect that is why an obituary has finally been published.

Victor Surma, Sr. went on a PSU football message board and posted disparaging remarks about Coach Joe Paterno after his son left the football team.   According to reliable sources, John Surma had been pushing for the ouster of Paterno ever since joining the PSU BOT in 2007 and led the way to orchestrate the firing of Coach Paterno on Nov. 9, 2011. That action caused terrible damage to Penn State and the Paterno legacy and family. We believe there is strong evidence of a direct connection between these events and at the very least John Surma had a conflict of interest that should have excluded him from any part in that decision.

Joe Paterno preached personal responsibility to all of his players and staff. It is not the place of a football coach to control the personal lives of players. Vic Surma the father says Paterno 'destroyed the self-esteem and confidence of young players'. But it was Vic, the father, that decided his son should walk on at Penn State instead of taking a full scholarship at Kent State. Vic the son simply was not equipped to win playing time at a top Division 1 program. Did Vic's failure to succeed given the pressure from his father destroy his self esteem and confidence?  Or was that the fault of Joe Paterno?

John Surma, Vice-chairman of the Trustees took over for Chairman Steve Garban that fateful night in November following Linda Kelly's Presentment press conference. Garban excused himself because he was once a player for Paterno.  It appeared that Surma and Gov Corbett had planned the firing of Joe Paterno well in advance of that emergency meeting. Corbett as the past AG knew what was coming and of Surma's strong dislike for Joe. Railroading the Trustees was easy - Corbett appointees along with the inner circle controlled Board decisions. Those who had any concern over the firing were quickly silenced and told that Corbett as former Attorney General had inside information concerning the extent of involvement by Paterno and PSU administrators. After all, Corbett convened the Grand Jury that wrote the indictments, so his conflict of interest is impossible to overstate. Here, the former Attorney General responsible for building the case against PSU, had become the most powerful member of the Board responsible for protecting the interests of PSU.

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Saturday, March 15

Joe and Sue Paterno's Wisdom Guides the Search For The Truth

The words of Joe and  Sue Paterno remind us of why the search for the truth is important

 By
Ray Blehar

 Every now and then, it's good to take a step back from what you are doing and assess the situation.  It's easy to get caught up in the news of the day and follow the hot story.  As a result, you get distracted from the primary objective and waste time on trivial matters and sideshows.  

 In order to reset the investigation's priorities, I reread Sue Paterno's letter of February 8, 2013.  The last paragraph says it all:

 "Joe Paterno's legacy wasn't a statue, a winning record or public adulation. He was grateful for the many accolades he received but he never believed they defined his life. His legacy is his family and you his players. How you live your life speaks louder than any report. The great fathers, husbands and citizens you have become fulfill the dreams Joe had. All that we want - and what I believe we owe the victims, Joe Paterno and everyone who cares about Penn State - is the full record of what happened. On this point, I know the advice Joe would give. Don't give up. Don't be afraid. Do the right thing. And make sure your actions serve the greater good. This is the path I will continue to follow."

 In the interest of full disclosure, I would not be a Penn State graduate if it was not for Joe Paterno.  However, it was the "other" things about Joe Paterno, and not his success as a football coach, that made me admire him so much.  Specifically,  it was those life lessons that I read in his autobiography, Paterno By The Book.

 If there was a single thing that Joe Paterno said that changed the way I approached my life, it was this:

 “There are many people, particularly in sports, who think that success and excellence are the same thing. They are not the same thing. Excellence is something that is lasting and dependable and largely within a person's control. In contrast, success is perishable and is often outside our control. If you strive for excellence, you will probably be successful eventually. People who put excellence in the first place have the patience to end up with success. An additional burden for the victim of the success mentality is that he is threatened by the success of others and he resents real excellence. In contrast, the person that is fascinated by quality is excited when he sees it in others.” 

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Friday, March 14

Robert Jubelirer: Candidate for Penn State Board of Trustees

We at SMSS in recognition of specific issues addressed by Robert Jubelirer concerning Joe Paterno's legacy, his agreement with Al Clemens statements, and his acceptance of Stephen Fink's recommendations have offered this space on our website. We agree with Bob and want to assist him in offering his case for election to the Penn State Board of Trustees. 
Dear SMSS Friends and Followers,
Thank you very much for the opportunity to share my platform as a candidate for the Penn State Board of Trustees. Your interest means a lot to me; I do not take your support lightly or for granted. YOU and other like-minded alums have been at the forefront of the fight to restore what is our beloved university’s real reputation as well as Coach Joe Paterno’s. I admire that you stand by the courage of your convictions in the face of often harsh circumstances and opposition. Nobody should minimize as merely symbolic the returning of JoePa’s statue to its rightful place – it can begin to heal the rift that has developed in PSU nation.


This is my second year running for the BoT. Last year was quite a learning experience. While I fared pretty well, I realized after that I had a lot more work to do in order to garner more support and earn an alumni-elected seat. Therefore, I have been working relentlessly to make a real difference in our fight through my relationships in Harrisburg with members of the state legislature and around the state at key hearings and at Trustees meetings. To date, I have garnered the support of 14 more state senators to support Senate Bill 1240 to begin reforming the Board of Trustees. And recently I’ve been working to get a public hearing for Governor Corbett’s BoT nominees, which is sorely needed especially in light of the nominees’ Second Mile ties.
Let’s talk about the Board. The Board should represent the best interests of the alumni, students and others. While some individual alumni-elected members have stepped up and deserve support, the “old guard” has been terrible except for one very notable exception: Al Clemens. He stepped up and I was very proud of my former classmate. It takes guts to admit you were wrong. His peers should follow! And they should also listen to Steven Fink who laid out best how the BoT not only should have proceeded in the past, but even now. The BoT, however, without due process dismissed Joe Paterno and through their acquiescence in accepting the NCAA sanctions without a thorough review of the Freeh Report, the Board failed us. Yet, I remain optimistic. Our university is strong. And serving in legislative leadership for so many years taught me the valuable skills of bringing people with differing positions together for results, and regrouping and forging ahead after suffering setbacks. That’s what I intend to do!
My top priorities (as a candidate and as a Penn Stater) are:
1. The Board needs to change its makeup and size. I support passage of PA Senate Bill 1240 and putting Trustees under the State Ethics Act.
2. To increase transparency, I support putting Penn State and all state-related universities under the Right to Know Act.
3. Stop wasting money on hiring outside consultants; instead use the money to reduce tuition for students.
4. PSU needs to better cultivate relationships in Harrisburg with the legislature and Administration.
5. PSU needs to better convey the remarkable academic and research attributes that make our university a renowned leader, and remind people what powerful economic engines ALL our campuses are
Thank you for this opportunity. If you are a PS4RS member and haven’t voted, I hope you will consider voting for me before Sunday! And I hope you will consider my candidacy in the election that begins next month.
For the glory, Bob


Bob with Anthony Lubrano on Joe Paterno's Legacy


Bob at the PS4RS Forum on Mar 6, 2014

VISIT THE JUBELIRER FOR TRUSTEE WEBSITE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 





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Monday, March 10

A CRACK IN THE WALL

by  Barry Bozeman


Read this ASAP:
STEPHEN FINKS A CRACK IN THE WALL FINALLY 

Stephen Fink is a professional crisis manager who operates Lexicon Communications. Here he gives his professional assessment of the massive mistakes made by the Penn State Board of Trustees in the wake of the Attorney Generals Presentment of Nov 4, 2011.

Fink writes:

As for Joe Paterno, even if his reputation and his record are restored, his lasting image will forever be tarnished by the cowardly actions of a weak and frightened board of trustees.
This is the same board that spent $800,000 recently to come up with a new “brand” – “Penn State Lives Here” – overlooking the fact that (a) the so-called brand is vacuous and meaningless, (b) was already in wide use by others, including ESPN’s “College Football Lives Here” media campaign, (c) does nothing to address the underlying crisis, and (d) there was absolutely wrong with the existing brand in the first place.
Penn State does not need a new brand; it needs a new board.

In a hastily called emergency meeting John Surma and Gov. Corbett orchestrated the firing of Coach Joe Paterno and President Graham Spanier based on the Presentment.  NO trial, NO jury, NO statements by the two PSU leaders - just a railroaded vote and a phone call to Paterno.

Penn State University has paid dearly for this tragic mistake and it's time to make the perpetrators pay.

John P. Surma led the charge to fire Joe Paterno 
Near the back of a conference room littered with coffee cups and plates of half-eaten fudge brownies and chocolate-chip cookies, a 79-year-old trustee and philanthropist named Mimi Coppersmith stood up and beseeched her colleagues to reconsider what they were poised to do. "Coach Paterno is revered here in State College," she said. (Image Mimi Coppersmith) 
"We're not going to drink the Kool-Aid," snapped John P. Surma, then the board's vice chairman and the chief executive officer of United States Steel Corp. "This is what we need to do."  
Surma then asked whether any trustee objected to the firing of coach Joe Paterno.             The question was met with silence.

The SURMA VENDETTA Part 2  
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Saturday, March 8

Al Clemens Resignation from The Penn State Board of Trustees

March 7, 2014

I have resigned from the Penn State Board of Trustees.

For most of the 18 years I served as a Trustee, I was proud to help Penn State grow and achieve its deserved stature, in both academics and athletics, as one of America’s top-rated public Universities.

On November 9th, 2011, I and my fellow Trustees, voted to fire Joe Paterno in a hastily called meeting. We had little advance notice or opportunity to discuss and consider the complex issues we faced. After 61 years of exemplary service, Coach Paterno was given no chance to respond. That was a mistake. I will always regret that my name is attached to that rush to injustice.

Hiring Louis Freeh and the tacit acceptance of his questionable conclusions, without review, along with his broad criticism of our Penn State culture was yet another mistake. In joining the Paterno family and others in their suit against the NCAA, I have distanced myself from the Board on this issue. I am determined to reverse all of the misguided sanctions which were designed to punish a football program without blemish, and were aimed at student-athletes innocent of any wrong-doing.

Over the past two years, concerned Alumni have spoken clearly and forcefully. They have replaced six incumbents with reform-minded Trustees determined to acknowledge and redress errors of judgment with positive actions. Those who believe we can move on without due process for all who have been damaged by unsupported accusations are not acting in Penn State’s best interest.

While I will continue to advocate for Penn State, I step down from the Board in keeping within the spirit of our vote for 12-year term limits. It is time for new leadership to step forward.

Penn State’s future is bright. Our President, Dr. Barron, brings him a fresh perspective, grounded in first-hand experience of the true culture of Success with Honor. We have the opportunity to move forward united in our commitment to truth.

I urge all who love Penn State’s name to fight on. WE ARE Penn State

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Thank you, Alvin Clemons
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Wednesday, March 5

The McQueary Evolution

by Barry Bozeman

 In the wake of ESPN's Outside the Lines and ESPN the magazines article "THE WHISTLEBLOWER'S LAST STAND", I am revisiting my thoughts about Mike McQueary and his pivotal role in what became the Penn State Sex Scandal. 


The first comment I ever made on the Penn State/ Second Mile/ Sandusky revelations came the day of Linda Kelly’s Press Conference on Nov. 4 2011. As an active participant on the Tennessee Scout sports forums I injected a comment in a long thread of people literally calling for McQueary’s head on a pike. The anger and hatred of McQueary was visceral. “How could a big strong football coach in good shape fail to step in and kick the crap out of an old man who was raping a 10 year old boy”?

Well I could not wrap my head around it either so I felt there must be something else going on and I knew the true nature of a Grand Jury Presentment. Knowing that presentment was not an unassailable statement of fact I tried to caution my fellow Volunteer fans to reserve judgment until all the facts were in. That seemed to be a big mistake. People were angry. Angry at Penn State, at Joe Paterno, at Tim Curley and Gary Schultz and very angry with Mike McQueary.

If Linda Kelly’s goal was to destroy Penn State and Joe Paterno in the court of public opinion, she succeeded beyond her wildest dreams. If this was the reaction on sports forums for the Tennessee Volunteers it had to be the reaction across the country on similar forums. I’m not sure why I thought there was far more to this story than seemed evident in the PA Attorney Generals presentation but I became intent on finding out. That led to the creation of this weblog and a long history of exploring the case. 

I actually felt sorry for Mike McQueary. I thought he must have been an abused child – possibly abused by Jerry Sandusky. I tried to imagine how shocked I might have been if I had seen what the Presentment claims he saw. But over time I came to a much different conclusion concerning McQueary and his role in this entire affair. There is no question that Mike McQueary was used by the Office of the Attorney General to make The Second Mile Sandusky Scandal into the Penn State Scandal. The only question I want to consider now is whether he was a willing participant, a coerced participant, or and unwitting dupe.

Over time much thought and effort has been focused on attempting to understand what McQueary actually saw. Linda Kelly’s presentment stated this “most credible” witness “SAW a boy being subjected to anal rape” by Jerry Sandusky. McQueary has made it clear that this overstates his observation. This website was the first to obtain and publish pictures of the locker room where this took place. 

What we do know about that night is that McQueary phoned home and then left the Lasch building to meet with his father and family friend Dr. Dranov that night. The following morning he had a 10 minute conversation with Joe Paterno. And several days later he met with Tim Curley and Gary Schultz to tell them what he had observed.

Even if we can accept that McQueary was so freaked out by what he saw or thought he saw at the Lasch building that he could not react in a manner to protect the child that Kelly says he observed being raped, can we accept that condition made it impossible for him to convey the nature of the heinous crime to his own father and long time family friend Dr. Dranov?

 A_2bman_2band_2bchild_mediumMcQeary says the child's height in comparison to Sandusky placed his head at the pectoral muscles of Sandusky's chest.

 Here is the point where McQueary's description of the end of his observation becomes important. McQueary says he faced the boy and Sandusky standing a couple of feet apart both observing him. He does not say the child showed any discomfort or surprise much less any fear, pain, embarrassment, or horror over whatever had happened. How is it possible that a small child of that size would not be in pain or greatly distressed if those slapping sounds were a big man driving himself into the child? And perhaps more importantly, how could a grown man desert a small child who was fearful or in pain to the person who was responsible for that situation? 

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Thursday, December 19

Baldwin Highlights of Grand Jury Testimony from Twitter

By Ray Blehar, Jimmy W, and No.1 Lion 99

Bold Black indicates erroneous or contradicted statement of Baldwin's.  There are many.
Red type indicates important statements from Frank Fina.

The biggest news to come out of the proceeding was that Sandusky was accused of a sexual abuse  in 1984.  The OAG didn't find any police record of it.  To date, few media outlets have done little more than make mention of it.

A full summary of the proceeding will appear in this space soon.



  2. 1h
    1984 allegation surfaces in Spanier colloquy. Connection?
    Expand
  3. 3h
    RT Baldwin GJT, P14, L12,13: Baldwin says Spanier told her to go to GJ with him during Jan 2011 mtg. Spanier was not subpoenaed at the time.
    Expand
  4. 3h
    RT BaldwinGJT: P13, L11,12: Baldwin stated that RETIRED Gary Schultz was "on vacation" when she received the subpoena for his GJ appearance
    Expand
  5. 3h
    Who were Vs 11-17? From CMHS?
      View summary
  6. 3h
    CB said gathering of info back to 1997 was taking time, but would have it in 2 days. Corro tasked in March. S1179 was issued 12/11?
     View conversation
  7. 3h
    Corro produced 3 USBs for CB. CB said one USB 2b provided on 4/15. Possible one was provided on 4/13/11 of just Spanier's e-mails.
     View conversation
  8. 3h
    If e-mails were due Jan 10 & CB didn't file motion to quash, where was GJ Contempt motion? Something fishy here?
     View conversation
  9. 6h
    Sassano trial testimony: "And Penn State...was not very quick in getting us our information." Ref. Sub. 191 for names of janitors.
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  10. 6h
    Spanier met with OAG on 3/22/11, before his 4/13/11 GJ testimony. When did Baldwin have her dress rehearsal?
     View conversation
    1. 9h
      (2/2) Baldwin affidavit omitted role of DPW in 1998 & exposed 2002 incident.
       View conversation
    2. 9h
      CB May '11 brief to BOT violated GJ secrecy b/c she disclosed the 2002 incident, which was not public info (1/2)
       View conversation
    3. 9h
      Baldwin was not a witness until October 2012. Illegal for her to disclose testimony.
       View conversation

    4. 9h
      proves could not have known details of 1998 report. Laws made conf.
       Retweeted by 


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    5. 9h
      Acc to Baldwin GJ testimony, Sandusky eluded arrests in 1984 & 1998 after he was reported. Laws r not the problem
       View conversation
    6. 13h
      All this background was in response to CB's oral motion to quash - rationale for far reaching subpoenas for emails.
       View conversation
    7. 22h
      Spanier, COL, P15, L1-4: Fina mentioned masked comments & metaphors in emails, indicating OAG had the e-mails prior to April 2011.
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    8. 22h
      Spanier, COL, P9, L20-23: Fina says matter was serious b/c Joe had Tim & Gary come to his home. WRONG. JVP's kitchen table notorious 4 mtgs
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    9. 22h
      Spanier, COL, P9, L1-19: Fina describes McQ report of 2001 incident, omitting John McQ and Dr. Dranov from chain of reporting.
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    10. 22h
      Spanier, COL, P8, L14-17: Fina says investigator believed 1998 police report (title) was altered after he filed it.
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    11. 22h
      Spanier, COL, P7-8: Fina mentions 1984 allegation against Sandusky. No police paperwork on it.


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    12. 22h
      Spanier, COL, P6. L14-17: Feudale also confident that security of grand jury won't be breached. ROTFLMAO .
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    13. 22h
      Spanier, COL, P4-5: Baldwin asked why she didn't make motion to quash. She then attempts oral motion to quash.
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    14. 22h
      Spanier, COL, P3, L13-24: In April 2011, Fina assures Baldwin there will be no leaks of info from the grand jury. ROTFLMAO!
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    15. 22h
      Baldwin GJT, P73, L16-21: Fina told Baldwin there were only TWO grand juries. Baldwin: "Um--hum" Then CB says Spanier misunderstood
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    16. 22h
      Baldwin GJT, P73, L6-10: Says Athletics, Finance, & Prez Office had lion's share of data. WRONG. IT specialists needed to retrieve data.
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    17. 22h
      Baldwin GJT, P73, L6-10: Says VP of Finance was one of three people who didn't respond. Horvath was VP when S1179 issued, but not charged.
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    18. 22h
      Baldwin GJT, P73, L3-5: So ff they sent directly, how did CB know subpoena was answered? (2/2) Half-assed operation.
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    19. 22h
      Baldwin GJT, P73, L3-5: CB outlined how subpoenas got answered. They sent it for us to send or sometimes they sent it on, directly. (1/2)
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    20. 22h
      Baldwin GJT, P70, L17-19: And there it is. Apartment lease ended in June 2012, for a job she was supposed to have until August 2011. !
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    21. 22h
      Baldwin GJT, P70, L1-12: Baldwin misstated term of her contract, stating it was until Aug 2011 -- when it was until June 2012.
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    22. 23h
      Baldwin GJT, P70, L2-11: CB says Spanier lied to her the whole time to keep things from her. Quite a motive!
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    23. 23h
      Baldwin GJT, P69, L6-14: No awareness of 98 & 01 emails & notes the whole time, but told of possible Schultz file + got emails from PSU IT
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    24. 23h
      Baldwin GJT, P64, L14-18: (2/2) Spanier believed invest concerned 2001 shower incident only. 1998 cleared =no issue. Clinton Cty = Not PSU
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    25. 23h
      Baldwin GJT, P64, L14-18: (1/2) Baldwin answers out of context, confusing Spanier's knowledge (more) with his concern (less)
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    26. 23h
      Baldwin GJT, P64, L2-8: Fina incorrectly stated Sub 1179 referenced 1998 and 2001 - it actually referenced 2002.
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    27. 23h
      Baldwin GJT, P63, L19-22: Baldwin stated told GS knew about 98 & 01 in April b/c she briefed the BOT about those incidents in May.
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    28. 23h
      Baldwin GJT, P61, L7-11: Baldwin stated told GS she was confident Sandusky would be charged. Powers: CB called it a "fishing expedition"
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    29. 23h
      Baldwin GJT, P59, L20-25: Baldwin stated she told Spanier his e-mails would be subpoenaed. Contradicted by Spanier in NewYorker
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    30. 23h
      Baldwin GJT, P59, L1-11: Baldwin stated Spanier had to know other victims were coming fwd b/c of 3/31/11 PN article.
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    31. 23h
      Baldwin GJT re Subpoenas: Source close to Curley family stated that Baldwin never provided subpoena to Tim Curley.
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    32. 23h
      Baldwin GJT re Subpoenas: Source close to Paterno family stated that Baldwin did not willingly provide subpoena to JVP.
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    33. 23h
      Baldwin GJT, P51, L20-23: Baldwin stated she told Spanier there were 3-4 grand jury panels. There were just two.
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    1. 23h
      Baldwin GJT, P45, L1-15: Baldwin lies about Spanier's role to brief the BOT on investigation & arrests. Her job IAW Standing Orders of BOT
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    2. 18 Dec
      Baldwin GJT, P36, L3-15: Baldwin briefed BOT on 2001 and 1998 incidents b/c they were in 3/31/11 PN article, but 2001 not mentioned in PN.
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    3. 18 Dec
      Baldwin GJT: Baldwin advised Spanier to disclose his GJ testimony AFTER Feudale issued non-disclosure order in Feb 2011
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    4. 18 Dec
      Baldwin GJT, P36, L18-20: Baldwin says BOT members asked her Qs at May 2011 BOT mtg. BOT member said no Qs asked b/c Baldwin downplayed it.
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    5. 18 Dec
      Baldwin GJT, P34, L21-25: Baldwin says her role is NOT to brief BOT on Sandusky investigation. Contradicted by Standing Orders of BOT
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    6. 18 Dec
      Baldwin GJT, P23, L4-7: Baldwin told Spanier that he would be told about sodomy & pedophila. Spanier contradicted Baldwin in NewYorker.
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    1. 18 Dec
      Baldwin GJT, P28, L1-3: Baldwin stated she told Spanier everything. Spanier said Baldwin kept him in the dark.
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    2. 18 Dec
      Baldwin GJT, P27, L14-17: Baldwin stated she told Spanier he was subpoenaed. Spaniers BOT letter contradicts Baldwin

      1. 18 Dec
        (2/2) Apparently, Baldwin believed that included NOT PROVIDING them to the concerned parties.
         View conversation
      2. 18 Dec
        Baldwin revised the OGC Policy to exercise prerogative in sending to other parties. (1/2)
         View conversation

      3. 18 Dec
        p28 Baldwin states she represents the university Feudale: "The university solely?" Baldwin: "Yes.. solely" Spanier not present
         Retweeted by 

         View conversation

        1. 18 Dec
          Funny her email about that & the one to preserve documents were not mentioned/included in the Freeh Report.
           View conversation

        2. 18 Dec
          But she did tell Feudale on 4/13/11 that she would have over a USB by Friday 4/15/11. P27 of colloquy
           Retweeted by 
           View conversation
        3. 18 Dec
          About that 1998 police report:
           View conversation
        4. 18 Dec
          Baldwin GJT, P25, L2,3: Baldwin claims Spanier got 1998 info from Tim & Gary, but Harmon stated he never provided 1998 rpt to Schultz
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        5. 18 Dec
          Baldwin GJT, P24, L1-24: Baldwin obtained 1998 police rpt, didn't show it to Spanier, but sez Spanier knew by getting info from "elsewhere"
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        6. 18 Dec
          So caught up in cya, she could not remember all the lies she told. (To a grand jury nonetheless)
           Retweeted by 
           View conversation
        7. 18 Dec
          Feudale's nondisclosure order was mentioned in transcripts of July 2013 Preliminary Hearing.
           View conversation
        8. 18 Dec
          According to trial verdicts, V9 was being abused into the fall of 2009.
           View conversation
        9. 18 Dec
          Baldwin GJT, P21, L7-21: Baldwin said she told Spanier he could tell the BOT anything he testified about. Contradicted by Feudale order.
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        10. 18 Dec
          Baldwin GJT, P20, L12-24: Baldwin denied ever being told about Schultz file. Contradicted by Schultz affidavit.
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        11. 18 Dec
          People suspected something was up when JS didn't show up at the kickoff event for the 2009 TSM Golf Tournament.
           View conversation
        12. 18 Dec
          Baldwin GJT, P19, L7-21: Baldwin said Spanier said he had no e-mails. Spanier said he was never asked to look.
           View summary
        13. 18 Dec
          Baldwin GJT, P19, L1-6: Baldwin said Schultz told her he had no documents. Contradicted by Schultz affidavit.
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        14. 12h

          But it is on the record Baldwin was there when Schultz told the GJ about the file on 1/12/2011. P204&217
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          Ray Blehar           ‏@RayBlehar18 Dec
        15. 18 Dec
          More about Subpoena 1179 here:
          Expand
        16. 18 Dec
          Baldwin GJT, P18, L5-11: Baldwin said specifics about 1179 told to C/S/S, yet all 3 testified to differing dates of 2001 shower incident.
          Expand
        17. 18 Dec
          Agree. Some probably as early as Spring 2009.
           View conversation
        18. 18 Dec
          Baldwin GJT, P16, L13-24: Spanier also contradicted Baldwin's preservation story. In New Yorker Mag, said he was not told about Sub 1179.
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        19. 18 Dec
          Baldwin GJT, P16, L13-24: (2/2) PSU IT Dept (Corro) contradicted CB. He testified he was shown part of the Subpeona in March 2011.
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        20. 18 Dec
          Baldwin GJT, P16, L13-24: Baldwin stated she gave preservation notice to C/S/S & PSU IT dept in response to of Sub 1179. (1/2)
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        21. 18 Dec
          Baldwin GJT, P14, L16-20: Baldwin stated she repped PSU & C/S/S as its agents.
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        22. 18 Dec
            View summary
        23. 18 Dec
          Baldwin GJT, P14, L12,13: Baldwin says Spanier told her to go to GJ with him during Jan 2011 mtg. Spanier was not subpoenaed at the time.
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        24. 18 Dec
          BaldwinGJT: P13, L11,12: Baldwin stated that RETIRED Gary Schultz was "on vacation" when she received the subpoena for his GJ appearance
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        25. 18 Dec
          BaldwinGJT: P12, L10: Fina reminded Baldwin of Sub 1179, issued Oct 2010.
          Expand
        26. 18 Dec
          Baldwin GJT. P11, L19: First learned of JS investigation 12/28/2010. Contradicted by July 2013 testimony of L. Powers. CB knew in Oct 2010
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          1. 18 Dec
            Later, Powers heard from Al Horvath abt reporter camping out @ Harmon's house in Feb 2011, p14-15
             View conversation
          2. 18 Dec
            But I do imagine she was involved in compiling the list of people aware of this subpoena on 3/1/2010 (Freeh p.82, note 382 p.154)
             View conversation
          3. 18 Dec
            And even though Baldwin didn't start until 2/15/2011, she was never asked about this subpoena in her GJ testimony
             View conversation
          4. 18 Dec
            It seems Horvath, as VP in charge of HR, would've seen 1/7/2010 subpoena for Sandusky personnel records. (Freeh p.82)
             View conversation
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