A Freeh Report Reading List

July 17, 2012 at 8:21 am Mary Murphy 7 comments

Penn State Trustee Ken Frazier ’75 chaired the investigative task force that hired Louis Freeh.

As the Penn State community continues to reel from the release of the Freeh Report, the national media has been busy weighing in on the findings and the fallout. Following the coverage can be overwhelming, but here are some articles from the past four days that are worth a read:

Guides to the Freeh Report

“A Guide to the Penn State Investigation”: From The Chronicle of Higher Education, an annotated summary of the report’s most significant findings.

“Analysis: Freeh report sheds new light on Jerry Sandusky scandal, but needs context”: Sara Ganim ’08 breaks down the important revelations, and identifies some of the report’s shortcomings. “It’s not the whole picture,” she writes.

The Paterno Statue

“After Report, Calls to Remove Paterno Statue at Penn State”: From The New York Times’ “The Lede” blog, a collection of Facebook and Twitter comments calling for the removal of the Joe Paterno statue immediately after the report’s release.

“Penn State denies decision made on Joe Paterno statue”: An update on the future of the statue and other landmarks bearing Paterno’s name and image.

Paterno’s Legacy

“Joe Paterno, at the end, showed more interest in his legacy than Jerry Sandusky’s victims”: “Everything else about Paterno must now be questioned,” writes Sally Jenkins, the Washington Post reporter who interviewed Paterno before his death, in one of the harshest pieces out there.

“Paterno Won Sweeter Deal Even as Scandal Played Out“: A New York Times report on Paterno’s retirement contract, which it says was worked out long before Paterno announced his retirement last Nov. 9.

“A Failed Experiment”: At Grantland.com, Michael Weinreb ’94 reflects on Penn State’s moral culture, concluding, “The Grand Experiment is a failure, and the entire laboratory is contaminated.”

NCAA and the Death Penalty

Amidst handfuls of articles weighing the pros and cons of the NCAA-imposed “death penalty” at Penn State, here is a take from each side:

“Should Penn State Football Get the Death Penalty?”: Slate’s Josh Levin advocates for a temporary shutdown of Penn State football.

“In calls for justice at Penn State, NCAA death penalty would be injustice”: Columnist David Whitley takes the opposite stance: “When it comes to punishment, Penn State will have an unprecedented amount without the NCAA getting involved.”

Penn State Pride

“‘We Are Penn State’ and What That Means Today”: John Milewski ’79 on accountability as an alum.”For me, the burden of being Penn State includes taking responsibility for being part of the myth machine that brought us to where we are today.”

“I Went to Penn State—But Don’t Pity Me”: Vicki Glembocki ’93, ’02g on finding comfort—and pride—among fellow Penn Staters.

“Ashamed for Joe Paterno and Penn State’s leaders, but still proud of my school”: A strong alumni voice since November, LaVar Arrington ’00 believes supporting Penn State is the way to rebuild. “A big mistake would be making this all about loving or hating Paterno.”

What articles/links do you recommend? Share them in the comments below.

Mary Murphy, associate editor

7 Comments Add your own

1. Margaret Higgins | July 17, 2012 at 8:43 am

If you are truly interested in all perspectives, I’d recommend this one as well:
http://www.johnziegler.com/editorials_details.asp?editorial=219
2. Steve '69 in VA | July 17, 2012 at 9:45 am

Here are other voices swimming against the tsunami of hate …

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2012/07/15/opinion/doc50022e6ab0246499824761.txt?viewmode=fullstory

http://notpsu.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/joe-paterno-in-1998-freeh-farce.html

I can’t believe the hatred in the media and in some people … all this without due process … our board of traitors continues to pile blame on JoePa to deflect where it truly belongs … on them and the governor!
3. Don Heller | July 17, 2012 at 11:19 am

I wrote an op-ed on the report for The Chronicle of Higher Education:

http://chronicle.com/article/For-Penn-States-Leaders-an/132849/

Don Heller
Dean, College of Education, Michigan State University
former Director, Center for the Study of Higher Education, Penn State
4. G. Young, '86 Comm | July 17, 2012 at 4:34 pm

Thank you to Penn Stater for links like these to what others are writing.

Open assessment and discourse will be a key to positive change.
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6. Ekzercist | March 4, 2013 at 8:31 am

When you look at the infractions that eaenrd SMU the death penalty for their football program back in the 1980s, and then you look at the PSU report . . . . it seems clear to me that there should be no football in Happy Valley for a long, long, long time . . .
7. Steve '69 in VA | March 4, 2013 at 11:19 am

Ekzercist are you serious? SMU had a football problem … The Sandusky Scandal has one, sick person … Jerry Sandusky! Nothing he did involved the football program at Penn State … have you read the Freeh Report? It’s one man’s opinion based on his far reaching assumptions based on little fact. Have you read the Paterno Report? This report goes to the heart of the problem … Jerry Sandusky was an expert at grooming his victims and hiding his activities from all around him. He fooled the “experts” so fooling those around him, his “friends” was easy for him. Why can’t you see this? Because of your “hate” for Penn State? For JoePa? For the truth? I feel sorry that you are blinded by the bias media, Freeh, NCAAsses … and sad to say our own Board of Traitors … you have jumped on the “bandwagon” of hate and no amount of truth will sway you so please go back under the rock you came from and leave us alone!

We Are … Because He Was!

Steve’ 69

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