Spotlight on Paterno Gives Cover to Real Penn State Culprit: Graham Spanier

American Family Association of Pennsylvantia News Release

July 23, 2012 Contact:  Diane Gramley 1-814.437.5355

(Harrisburg)  — Former Penn State Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky sat before his jury of peers and was found guilty of 45 counts of sexual abuse last month and faces life in prison.  Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President for Finance Gary Schultz have been charged with  perjury and covering up allegations of child sexual abuse.    Early Sunday morning Joe Paterno’s statute outside Beaver Stadium was removed.    The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA) has but one question, “Where is Graham Spanier?”

“On November 9th Graham Spanier was removed as President of Penn State University.  The statement he issued upon removal included this sentence, ‘ I am heartbroken to think that any child may have been hurt and have deep convictions about the need to protect children and youth.’   He remains as a professor at the university.  His policies, and the lax oversight of the Board of Trustees, are what created the atmosphere which allowed this tragedy to continue.  Where is Graham Spanier and will he be held accountable?” questioned Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA.

Gary L. Morella, retired member of the research faculty, Penn State has this to say, “The bottom line is this, and bears repeating:  Why didn’t these four simple words at the very least, ‘MAN, BOY, ALONE, SHOWER,’ set off skyrockets as to the heinous nature of the CRIMES of a homosexual predator at Penn State to all culpable in the chain-of-command, to particularly include, Graham Spanier, where the buck stops, whose immediate responsibility, as it was of all those involved who did nothing to stop this abominable moral atrocity on the Penn State campus, was to notify the police instead of approving the cover-up of these crimes?”

By his unconscionably gross negligence in this matter, ultimately it was Spanier, and his enablers, who brought down Penn State University!”

Morella goes on to say, ” It also explains why Spanier gave a Clintonesque definition of immoral, i.e., “It all depends on what your definition of immoral is,” when pressed by a State Committee as to whether he considered the promotion of pornographic filth on his campus in the way of a Sex Faire and C-fest (a vulgar reference to female genitalia) on the taxpayer’s dime to be wrong or immoral?   Catholics, in particular, at Penn State will recall the repeated attacks on their faith over the course of Spanier’s reign of moral terror when he did nothing but defend those responsible for same.”

An article Graham Spanier co-authored in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 4, No. 2. further reveals his lack of a moral foundation:

“We choose to view deviant behavior simply as behavior that some value and others consider wrong. An individual’s behavior becomes deviant only when others define it as deviant. Much of an individual’s behavior can be viewed as a response to this ‘labeling.’  Mate swapping, then, can be viewed as either deviant or normal behavior, depending on who is viewing it and from what perspective it is being viewed.”

“The students and faculty of Penn State deserve better leadership and a better example than that.  Spanier is gone as president, but we cannot forget the role he played in the Sandusky sexual molestation case.  We cannot forget the campus activities he placed his stamp of approval upon that set the stage to do anything but protect children and youth.  The empire that had become Penn State is crumbling; the man most responsible for the empire building and the atmosphere on campus — Graham Spanier —  must be held accountable.  He must not be allowed to get away with what he has done,” further commented Gramley.

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American Family Association of PA P.O. Box 1048 Franklin, PA   16323

Phone: (814) 271.9078  http://afaofpa.org