Crazy irony in the PSU mess......

[cto]

The last paragraph of the Thamel story this afternoon contains an old quote from Larry Foster, whom the article identifies as a former member of the PSU board of trustees and a former president of the PSU alumni association:

“There’s no individual in the entire 120- or 130-year history of the university that has had a greater impact on the institution than Joe Paterno,” Larry Foster, a former trustee and a president of the alumni association, told The New York Times in 2004. “He’s just reached into so many areas.”

The article does not, however, note Larry is the former head of communication at J&J who got the credit (rightfully) for the way J&J handled the Tylenol crisis --- a feat that is still cited as the very best example of crisis management/communication.

It is so ironic that he is quoted in a story about what is possibly the worst handling of such a crisis. I am surprised PSU has not consulted with him and put him to work. (He's a good friend of mine .. and as much of a PSU fan as I am an SU fan)

 

[RoysRunts]

Especially since this has been going on for 3 years

 

[N.Y. Orangeman]

The last paragraph of the Thamel story this afternoon contains an old quote from Larry Foster, whom the article identifies as a former member of the PSU board of trustees and a former president of the PSU alumni association:

“There’s no individual in the entire 120- or 130-year history of the university that has had a greater impact on the institution than Joe Paterno,” Larry Foster, a former trustee and a president of the alumni association, told The New York Times in 2004. “He’s just reached into so many areas.”

The article does not, however, note Larry is the former head of communication at J&J who got the credit (rightfully) for the way J&J handled the Tylenol crisis --- a feat that is still cited as the very best example of crisis management/communication.

It is so ironic that he is quoted in a story about what is possibly the worst handling of such a crisis. I am surprised PSU has not consulted with him and put him to work. (He's a good friend of mine .. and as much of a PSU fan as I am an SU fan)

Joyce, I'd love your take if (assuming you are in a position where you could give it) on how you would have handled this situation if you were the PSU President.

 

[SoBristol]

Of course, if you didn't handle the problem in 2002 when you had a chance to put a stop to Sandusky's activities, you deserve to have a media problem when it comes out. You can't just recall the product (Tylenol example) and save your brand.
At this point, all the BOT can do is appoint a special committee, put in an interim coach who is clean, start a search for a new AD and new head coach, and make genuine apologies. Folks who are tainted will need to lawyer up, and let their lawyer respond in brief sentences.

 

[stuckinbig11]

As I noted in another thread: What I find ironic is that the Penn State story came out on the same day that a certain lawyer was convicted for his role in the death of the most famous pedophile of all.

 

[JOC44]

That statement that Scott Paterno wrote for his father was among the worst press statements in the history of press statements. "Shocked" by all of this? Wasn't told the "specific details"? "Though I complied with my legal obligations . . ."? Terrible, terrible stuff.

He should have done a mea culpa, basically saying that in retrospect, there's a lot he wished he had handled differently.

 

[cto]

Joyce, I'd love your take if (assuming you are in a position where you could give it) on how you would have handled this situation if you were the PSU President.

That is really a two-part question ... how should he have handled it if he known about the allegations before this weekend ... and how he should have handled it if he just found out about it this weekend.

The answer to the first part is obvious. He should have directed PSU to notify the authorities immediately about a potential crime and offered to fully cooperate in the investigation, and he should have suspended Sandusky without pay and severed all his ties with PSU, pending the result of the investigation.

As to the second scenario .. assuming he heard about it for the first time this weekend (which I doubt), I certainly would NOT have issued a statement of "unconditional support" for those two senior officers. As soon as I heard that statement this weekend, I went "Wow, that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard." I could not believe anyone could be that dumb. Anyhow, if he first learned about it this weekend, he should have expressed outrage that such events could have occurred, and could have been covered up. As the earliest stories indicated the two senior officers were to be charged with perjury, I would have immediately suspended them without a pay. I would promise the school's fullest cooperation with the DA's investigation, and I would announce PSU's own sweeping internal investigation as to how such a thing could have happened and could have been covered up. And I would have told JoePa to submit his retirement papers immediately ... with some little statement that he had planned to retire at the end of the season,but was accelerating it a bit because he felt it was a good idea for the school to start with a new slate in the football department that had not been associated with Sandusky. Statement would reiterate his innocence, but state he was doing it for the good of PSU.

If all that had been done this weekend, I think it would help show that the president was in charge. And there would not be all this focus on JoePa and whether he should resign.

 

[stuckinbig11]

That is really a two-part question ... how should he have handled it if he known about the allegations before this weekend ... and how he should have handled it if he just found out about it this weekend.

The answer to the first part is obvious. He should have directed PSU to notify the authorities immediately about a potential crime and offered to fully cooperate in the investigation, and he should have suspended Sandusky without pay and severed all his ties with PSU, pending the result of the investigation.

As to the second scenario .. assuming he heard about it for the first time this weekend (which I doubt), I certainly would NOT have issued a statement of "unconditional support" for those two senior officers. As soon as I heard that statement this weekend, I went "Wow, that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard." I could not believe anyone could be that dumb. Anyhow, if he first learned about it this weekend, he should have expressed outrage that such events could have occurred, and could have been covered up. As the earliest stories indicated the two senior officers were to be charged with perjury, I would have immediately suspended them without a pay. I would promise the school's fullest cooperation with the DA's investigation, and I would announce PSU's own sweeping internal investigation as to how such a thing could have happened and could have been covered up. And I would have told JoePa to submit his retirement papers immediately ... with some little statement that he had planned to retire at the end of the season,but was accelerating it a bit because he felt it was a good idea for the school to start with a new slate in the football department that had not been associated with Sandusky. Statement would reiterate his innocence, but state he was doing it for the good of PSU.

If all that had been done this weekend, I think it would help show that the president was in charge. And there would not be all this focus on JoePa and whether he should resign.

I think that in their naivety, the whole PSU hierarchy thought they could keep this under wraps and that it would be over in a day or two; after all, they have been able to do so successfully for years.

 

[N.Y. Orangeman]

That is really a two-part question ... how should he have handled it if he known about the allegations before this weekend ... and how he should have handled it if he just found out about it this weekend.

The answer to the first part is obvious. He should have directed PSU to notify the authorities immediately about a potential crime and offered to fully cooperate in the investigation, and he should have suspended Sandusky without pay and severed all his ties with PSU, pending the result of the investigation.

As to the second scenario .. assuming he heard about it for the first time this weekend (which I doubt), I certainly would NOT have issued a statement of "unconditional support" for those two senior officers. As soon as I heard that statement this weekend, I went "Wow, that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard." I could not believe anyone could be that dumb. Anyhow, if he first learned about it this weekend, he should have expressed outrage that such events could have occurred, and could have been covered up. As the earliest stories indicated the two senior officers were to be charged with perjury, I would have immediately suspended them without a pay. I would promise the school's fullest cooperation with the DA's investigation, and I would announce PSU's own sweeping internal investigation as to how such a thing could have happened and could have been covered up. And I would have told JoePa to submit his retirement papers immediately ... with some little statement that he had planned to retire at the end of the season,but was accelerating it a bit because he felt it was a good idea for the school to start with a new slate in the football department that had not been associated with Sandusky. Statement would reiterate his innocence, but state he was doing it for the good of PSU.

If all that had been done this weekend, I think it would help show that the president was in charge. And there would not be all this focus on JoePa and whether he should resign.

Thanks. Very insightful. Thank God we have grown ups running SU.

 

[Scooch]

That is really a two-part question ... how should he have handled it if he known about the allegations before this weekend ... and how he should have handled it if he just found out about it this weekend.

The answer to the first part is obvious. He should have directed PSU to notify the authorities immediately about a potential crime and offered to fully cooperate in the investigation, and he should have suspended Sandusky without pay and severed all his ties with PSU, pending the result of the investigation.

As to the second scenario .. assuming he heard about it for the first time this weekend (which I doubt), I certainly would NOT have issued a statement of "unconditional support" for those two senior officers. As soon as I heard that statement this weekend, I went "Wow, that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard." I could not believe anyone could be that dumb. Anyhow, if he first learned about it this weekend, he should have expressed outrage that such events could have occurred, and could have been covered up. As the earliest stories indicated the two senior officers were to be charged with perjury, I would have immediately suspended them without a pay. I would promise the school's fullest cooperation with the DA's investigation, and I would announce PSU's own sweeping internal investigation as to how such a thing could have happened and could have been covered up. And I would have told JoePa to submit his retirement papers immediately ... with some little statement that he had planned to retire at the end of the season,but was accelerating it a bit because he felt it was a good idea for the school to start with a new slate in the football department that had not been associated with Sandusky. Statement would reiterate his innocence, but state he was doing it for the good of PSU.

If all that had been done this weekend, I think it would help show that the president was in charge. And there would not be all this focus on JoePa and whether he should resign.

And this is why Joyce is one smart, talented, pioneering lady.

 

[oldpinepoint]

Hopefully SU will be checking their reporting procedures and policies again. I'm sure all Universities will be doing this. This mess could absolutely destroy a University. If i was a PSU alumni, i would never give them another dime period.

 

[Millhouse]

“He’s just reached into so many areas.”

i bet he did