Home About Us Media Kit Subscriptions Links Forum
 
APPEARED IN:

Nov/Dec 2011View Articles

View Flipbook

Download PDF

FAMOUS INTERVIEWS

Directories:

SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

HELP WANTED

Tutors

Workshops

Events

Sections:

Books

Camps & Sports

Careers

Children’s Corner

Collected Features

Colleges

Cover Stories

Distance Learning

Editorials

Famous Interviews

Homeschooling

Medical Update

Metro Beat

Movies & Theater

Museums

Music, Art & Dance

Special Education

Spotlight On Schools

Teachers of the Month

Technology

Archives:

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

1995-2000


JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012

The Tragedy at Penn State
By Arthur Katz, Esq.

Some time has passed since the crisis at Penn State, which resulted in the summary termination of the University’s President, Graham Spanier, and its revered football coach, Joe Paterno, and the criminal indictment of several Penn State employees based upon evidence that they had lied under oath.

The innocence or guilt of the protagonist of the crisis, Jerry Sandusky, who continues to claim that he is innocent of all criminal charges, is not the issue.

Although we only can speculate as to what actually occurred, several lessons are clear, the most critical one being that until the Board of Trustees took action several weeks ago, the so-called “tone at the top” had been consistently absent.

Sandusky is accused of sexual misconduct with minor boys under his influence. Under Pennsylvania law at the time, accusations of possible sexual misconduct were reportable to State officials. Yet, each and every one of the Penn State employees who were aware of the allegations made a decision to stay silent. Whether each of their individual decisions was based upon the very significant financial consequences that could arise (football has been responsible for more than $50 million of net proceeds being received by Penn State each year), the view that “someone else” should tattle first or just gross ineptitude, there was no “tone at the top” exhibited by any of the leaders of Penn State either at the time of any of the reported events, or even thereafter, when the Grand Jury commenced its criminal investigation.

A leader is responsible for setting the moral code of any organization. Continued failure to do so at Penn State was a sign of arrogance and overwhelming hubris. And, if the charges against Sandusky are proven to be true, then a far greater tragedy has occurred.

If a proper tone had been set, events such as the Sandusky charges would have been reported and fully investigated, and then taking appropriate and timely actions would have been a foregone conclusion. Moreover, the significant ultimate consequences to the entire Penn State community would have been avoided.

Hopefully, the moral lesson will not be forgotten by any of us — most importantly educators who have a responsibility to set the tone, and do the right thing by example. #

Arthur Katz is a member of the law firm of Otterbourg, Steindler, Houston & Rosen, P.C.

COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

Name:

Email:
Show email
City:
State:

 


 

 

 

Education Update, Inc.
All material is copyrighted and may not be printed without express consent of the publisher. © 2012.