Nike
was right when it removed Joe Paterno’s name from the child-care center named
after him at their corporate headquarters. Cars.com and
Sherwin-Williams also rescinded their sponsorship.
Decent people everywhere should stand up and demand that many more follow Penn State.
The late Zionist thinker Ze’ev Jabotinsky
said “Silence is Despicable”, and as Penn State was silent, the crisis PR
situation which the university faces is about as bad as it gets. The University's board admit that its leaders knowingly covered up the crimes and disgusting deeds
of former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, the child molester to prevent marring the "good name" of the school and its sports team.
Administrators, including Joe Paterno were complicit in the silence.
The report
says that the powers that be at Penn State did what they did "to avoid
the consequences of bad publicity." Allow kids to be molested and avoid
media? Penn State's values can’t be any clearer
than that. Penn State needs to remove the Joe Paterno statue
immediately and send the message that they won’t honor people who are
aware of child molesters and do nothing about it - regardless of what
they do in sports.
They should also suspend the football program for a few years - focus on other matters instead of sports.
There's plenty of education needed at this supposed “school of higher learning.”
Penn State
has to begin to show that values and decency are more important than
protecting football - How many kids were molested in part because
Paterno and others did not act upon their knowledge?
One wonders how many will be comfortable having their children attend
and be educated at an institution where university presidents, “hero”
coaches, and students not only accept, but celebrate those who witness –
and do nothing – about disgusting, illegal
behavior.
Will alumni start to move Penn State to the bottom of their resumes?
There's not much that can be said about - or at - Penn State.
It's time for actions, as clearly the leadership of Penn State took none while Sandusky was very active.
In the world, there’s the court of law and the court of
public relations – at least in the court of public opinion, the fate of Penn State is in their hands.
Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a US
PR Agency.
