Resolving the Penn State "Statue" Issue

The Freeh Report on the Penn State sex-abuse scandal was released last week, making national headlines. It showed that Assistant Coach Sandusky’s sexual behavior with young boys was not only known by legendary Coach Paterno (now deceased), but it was also known at the highest levels of the University and never reported to the authorities — in clear violation of the Clery Act, which requires all colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to maintain and disclose information about crime on and near their campus.


The entire scandal is a public relations bomb for Penn State. But because of the space I limit myself to in a blog, I will focus on one aspect of this nightmare: whether the statue of Joe Paterno in front of the stadium should remain or be removed and, depending on the action, what kind of legacy will this create?

Like many others, I believe that the statue should be removed because of the negative reminders it conveys of a troubled culture and Paterno’s cover-up for more than a decade, but it’s a complicated issue. There are most likely many who see his life’s body of work at Penn State for more than 60 years — and 46 years as head coach of the Nittany Lions —as more important than these recent revelations. The Freeh Report casts a dark shadow on the reputation of the entire university, puts its accreditation at risk, may well stifle student applications and threatens federal funding. That said, because of all the major negative national publicity, the statue has taken on a life of its own and may prove to be a major tourist attraction. It stands for part of the history and heritage of the University. It fundamentally represents the story of a great American football team and the players who made it great. Many may seize upon it for that. One news story noted that the trustees will not do anything rash, meaning that the statue will not come down immediately and time may be an ally. If they wait months, perspectives may change, and the positives may loom larger than the negatives.

But if the Board of Trustees gave an immediate order to remove the statue, it would be a public acknowledgement that the school is rejecting the culture that produced the scandal. For parents of potential students who are sensitive to placing their sons and daughters in a moral environment, this act may help eliminate at least some of the lingering tarnish. And it also may help dilute the mercenary image the school has acquired because of the role played by football money in the cover-up (i.e., let’s not kill the goose that laid the golden egg).

So how about this? Take an extensive survey of all the stakeholders — students, potential students, parents of current and former students, faculty, trustees, alumni, campus employees, administrative leadership, etc. Ask questions about the decision on the statue and the legacy it will leave if it stands. Ask what it communicates today — and whether time will heal the reputational wounds. Ask if the statue is merely a symbol and if its very essence transcends any physical object. Ask if the spirit and culture of Penn State will benefit or be hurt by what this statue represents today and in the future. Does this make a case for delaying the building of a statue until someone has died? Of course, reputation-tarnishing information can even emerge after someone’s death.

Make an assessment once the survey data is in. At least then the university will have a chance to stand back and cogitate on the findings, and perhaps respond to a possible consensus. The chances of making the best decision for the long term may be found through this channel.

Penn State Turnaround

On November 9, Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno announced his retirement, effective at the end of the season, and added an eloquent apology to the children and families devastated by the repeated instances of child sexual assault allegedly committed by former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. In his statement, Paterno said: “I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief. … With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”

It was a case of much too little, way too late. Within a few hours, Paterno and Penn State president Graham Spanier were summarily fired by the school’s board of trustees.

Last Thursday, in my blog, I wrote that “there are there are actions that can be taken to begin turning the situation around.”

So, what actions should Penn State take that would signal the beginnings of a turnaround?

• First and foremost, the school should audit the students, professional staff and other employees to ensure that there are no other looming issues which could explode on the heels of these sex crimes. And they should be prepared to publish the results.


• Next, Rod Erickson, the new president of the university, should publicly apologize to the students, faculty, other staff, parents, the community, the athletic teams and all other stakeholders for the mistakes the university made in this debacle. The apology should be publicized nationally via its website and student, alumni and news media, both social and traditional. And it should be more than “I’m sorry.” Erikson made a start, last Monday, on the Penn State website, but, in my opinion, fell short in terms of detailing the practical ways in which the university plans to make amends to the people who have been hurt by its previous mistakes.


• Thirdly, make ethics (or “Honor”) courses mandatory for students, faculty, coaches and any other university personnel whose poor choices could compromise gains made by the university from here on in. The throngs of student rioters have their values and mores misplaced. Hopefully, this kind of training can set them right.


• There are another 100,000 victims of the scandal: the children served by The Second Mile, the Pennsylvania nonprofit founded by Sandusky and from whose ranks he apparently selected his victims. Its president has resigned and the charity, which is currently under investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office, may not survive. In my opinion, Penn State should identify charities with impeccable credentials (e.g., the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Children's Defense Fund and KaBOOM!) and support one or more of them with funding and volunteers.

Thoughtful action is essential to heal the wounds and restore Penn State’s reputation.

Penn State: Whose Fault Is It?

National advertisers are pulling out of Penn State.

While this is not surprising to those of us in the business of reputation management, some may wonder why leading brands want to avoid the link with Penn State, as an institution, when it appears that the horrible sex crimes were committed by one person there.

Well, in my opinion, there are two primary reasons for the mass exodus of Penn State’s national corporate sponsors: 1) the nature of the transgression and 2) the university’s reaction to it.

The alleged crimes – which involve the ongoing sexual assault of children were compounded by the fact that reports of the abuse (by the children themselves, their parents and Penn State employees) were repeatedly ignored and covered up by the university, according to the Grand Jury Report, making it a university issue.

When action was finally taken, which included firing Joe Paterno, the legendary football coach, and cutting ties with Jerry Sandusky, the alleged pedophile, Penn State students responded by rioting. If you are a major corporation looking to enhance your brand equity, these are not the sort of people you want as your brand ambassadors.

As I noted in my recent interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Penn State will likely be a risky investment for potential advertisers for some time to come, as the story’s not over and litigation will probably keep it alive in the near term. It is an unfortunate situation for a university whose motto is “Success with Honor.” However, there are actions that can be taken to begin turning the situation around. The question is whether and when the university will begin to act.