sickening penn state football allegations

[Leeway]

Aloc wrote: "he's talking about soul searching. when he says it's time for soulsearching about our values of kids vs. sports and all that, the president needs challenged as to why HE continues to do special favors for kevin johnson, a former boston celtic, now mayor of sacramento. there have been 2 major accusations of him groping underage girls, one in a shower while naked, strange six figure payoffs to the one girl's parents, similarly in sacramento. there was another issue a bout a student in one of his charter high schools, not to mention his misuse of americorps(remember the americorps inspector general resignation earlier this year?), funds. obama goes to the mat for this guy. the man has a history of doing things with underage women-children, strange payoffs and intimidation of people. why aren't all the moral watchdogs in our society paying any heed to this matter?"

I've never heard anything of the kind about Kevin Johnson (has this been documented anywhere?), but if it is true, it makes me wonder more than a little that he recently married Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of the DC school system and someone very active in education lobbying and consulting.

[Larry Kart]

Aloc wrote: "he's talking about soul searching. when he says it's time for soulsearching about our values of kids vs. sports and all that, the president needs challenged as to why HE continues to do special favors for kevin johnson, a former boston celtic, now mayor of sacramento. there have been 2 major accusations of him groping underage girls, one in a shower while naked, strange six figure payoffs to the one girl's parents, similarly in sacramento. there was another issue a bout a student in one of his charter high schools, not to mention his misuse of americorps(remember the americorps inspector general resignation earlier this year?), funds. obama goes to the mat for this guy. the man has a history of doing things with underage women-children, strange payoffs and intimidation of people. why aren't all the moral watchdogs in our society paying any heed to this matter?"

I've never heard anything of the kind about Kevin Johnson (has this been documented anywhere?), but if it is true, it makes me wonder more than a little that he recently married Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of the DC school system and someone very active in education lobbying and consulting.

If those accusations about Johnson are true, then he and Rhee make a perfect couple. We already know that her career as an educational reformer is that of a died-in-the-wool fake and liar.

[Aggie87]

judge who granted cashless bail to jerry sandusky is a volunteer at his foundation.

no conflict of interest there.

conflict of interest

Heard a little bit about this today - the talking heads were saying that the bail should have been set at at least $500K, and he should have been required to wear an ankle monitor. Yet this particular judge set bail at $100K without explanation, and no monitoring. No comments from the judge, either.

How could she *not* recuse herself from anything having to do with Sandusky, being a volunteer for his organization?? What the hell.

[Dave James]

The indictment. WARNING: Not for those with weak stomachs.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/chi-1107-sandusky-report-pdf,0,2535623.htmlpage

Sandusky, in an interview with Bob Costas, has denied the allegations against him.

Edited November 15, 2011 by Dave James

[Chalupa]

Aloc wrote: "he's talking about soul searching. when he says it's time for soulsearching about our values of kids vs. sports and all that, the president needs challenged as to why HE continues to do special favors for kevin johnson, a former boston celtic, now mayor of sacramento. there have been 2 major accusations of him groping underage girls, one in a shower while naked, strange six figure payoffs to the one girl's parents, similarly in sacramento. there was another issue a bout a student in one of his charter high schools, not to mention his misuse of americorps(remember the americorps inspector general resignation earlier this year?), funds. obama goes to the mat for this guy. the man has a history of doing things with underage women-children, strange payoffs and intimidation of people. why aren't all the moral watchdogs in our society paying any heed to this matter?"

I've never heard anything of the kind about Kevin Johnson (has this been documented anywhere?), but if it is true, it makes me wonder more than a little that he recently married Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of the DC school system and someone very active in education lobbying and consulting.

If those accusations about Johnson are true, then he and Rhee make a perfect couple. We already know that her career as an educational reformer is that of a died-in-the-wool fake and liar.

Rhee just hired the recently fired former head of the Philly school district, Arlene Ackerman, to push for school vouchers in Pennsylvania.

[RDK]

This is from the NY Post, so take it with a grain of salt, but...

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/sandusky_lawyer_impregnated_teenage_7jKwQMCeBlm9RSdr9zeutK

[papsrus]

This is from the NY Post, so take it with a grain of salt, but...

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/sandusky_lawyer_impregnated_teenage_7jKwQMCeBlm9RSdr9zeutK

The most startling thing in that story is that the age of consent in Pa. is 16, as it is in about half the states and all of Canada. So the guy did nothing 'illegal.' In fact, if our laws codify our morality, he did nothing immoral either.

[Big Wheel]

But our laws don't codify our morality. That's why we have the (n/2 + 7) rule for such cases.

[alocispepraluger102]

rhee-kevin johnson

http://rokdrop.com/2009/11/23/michelle-rhee-linked-to-kevin-johnson-sex-scandal-cover-up/

Michelle Rhee Linked to Kevin Johnson Sex Scandal Cover Up

» by GI Korea in: Korea-General TopicsSince the announcement of their recent engagement I had wondered how Washington, DC School Superintendent Michelle Rhee hooked up with former NBA star Kevin Johnson, now I know:

When Kevin Johnson, the former NBA star who is now mayor of Sacramento, was under investigation last year for alleged financial misdeeds and inappropriate behavior with female students, he had an important ally behind the scenes.

Michelle Rhee, the nationally known education reformer who is now head of the Washington, D.C., public schools, had several conversations with a federal inspector general in which she made the case for Johnson and the school he ran in Sacramento, according to the inspector general. Rhee, who had served on the board of the school and is now engaged to marry Johnson, said he was “a good guy.”

Rhee’s position had little effect on the inspector general, Gerald Walpin, who filed a criminal referral to the U.S. attorney on Johnson, a self-described friend and supporter of President Obama. But both the Sacramento police and federal attorneys declined to pursue charges. Walpin, who protested the prosecutors’ handling of the case, was ultimately fired by the Obama White House in June. [

LA Times

]

Rhee sat on the board of Johnson’s charter school in Sacramento, St. Hope and has accompanied Johnson on a number of other official trips. You can read more about Michelle Rhee in my prior profile of her here.

Anyway here is the corruption that the inspector general Gerald Walpin uncovered at St. Hope that was going on under Rhee’s nose:

The investigation began after the AmeriCorps inspector general, Gerald Walpin, received reports that Johnson had misused some of the $800,000 in federal AmeriCorps money provided to St. Hope, a non-profit school that Johnson headed for several years.

Walpin was looking into charges that AmeriCorps-paid volunteers ran personal errands for him, washed his car, and took part in political

activities. [

Washington Examiner

]

The corruption is bad enough, but here is what is really scandalous:

The final four pages of the criminal referral discussed three instances of alleged inappropriate actions by Johnson involving a minor, who had reported she was fondled, and two young volunteers, who reported that Johnson went to their apartment and climbed into bed with one of them. The criminal referral notes that the two educators who reported the allegations left the charter school upset with the way the complaints had been handled.

From the report here is what the women said Johnson did:

G. Improper Sexual Physical Conduct

Our investigation disclosed evidence of sexual misconduct towards young female Members by Mr. Johnson. One Member, [REDACTED] (Ex. 19 hereto), reported that, in the February/March 2007 time frame, she was entering grades into the SAC High database system per Mr. Johnson’s instructions at the St. HOPE office at night, purportedly as part of her AmeriCorps service. [REDACTED] contacted Mr. Johnson to inform him that she had completed the grades and wanted him to review them. About 11:00 pm, Mr. Johnson arrived at St. HOPE and instructed [REDACTED] to gather her things and come with him. Mr. Johnson drove to [REDACTED] apartment, which is managed by St. HOPE Development and houses its AmeriCorps Members, purportedly so that they could review the students’ grades. While in [REDACTED], in which another AmeriCorps Member had a separate bedroom, Mr, Johnson laid down on [REDACTED's] bed, [REDACTED] sat on the edge of the bed to show him the grades, at which time Mr. Johnson “layed down behind me, cupping his body around mine like the letter C. After about 2-3 minutes or so, I felt his hand on my left side where my hip bone is.” Further, although not detailed in her written statement, [REDACTED], during the interview, demonstrated, while explaining, that Mr. Johnson’s hand went under her untucked shirt and moved until his hand was on her hip. [REDACTED] immediately got up and stated she was done and left the room. When she returned, Mr. Johnson was still in her bed, but now apparently sleeping. Only after [REDACTED] sought to take a blanket to sleep elsewhere did Mr. Johnson exit to the living room of the apartment. [REDACTED] related that Mr. Johnson slept on the couch in her apartment living room that night and subsequently left the apartment at approximately 6 a.m. the next day.

After, as [REDACTED] put it, she “got the courage to tell… my supervisors,” she reported the incident, which, she was informed, was communicated to St. HOPE Academy’s Human Resources Department and the Chief Financial Officer. The night after [REDACTED] made her report, Mr. Johnson approached her and apologized. Subsequently, Kevin Hiestand, Johnson’s personal attorney, met with [REDACTED], described himself only “as a friend of Johnson,” and “basically asked me to keep quiet.” Also, about one week after this incident, when [REDACTED] told Mr. Johnson she was going to quit because of financial and family reasons, Mr. Johnson “offered to give me $1,000 a month until the end of the program,” stating that it would be confidential “between him and I.” As [REDACTED] related that conversation, Mr. Johnson “said all he needed was my savings account number,” he would make the deposit and “no one needed to know about it.” [REDACTED] did not accept this offer by giving Mr. Johnson her account number.

Another former Member, [REDACTED] (Ex. 20 hereto), reported that, while attending a St. HOPE sponsored trip to Harlem, NY, from June 26 to July 16, 2006, Mr. Johnson, on three occasions, “brushed [her] leg with his hand,” including once “flip[ingj up the edge of her skirt. Other times, she stated, Mr. Johnson kissed her cheek, brushed up against her as he walked past, and massaged her shoulders. ([REDACTED] reported another incident that occurred in Sacramento, CA, in which Mr. Johnson touched [REDACTED's] inner thigh with his hand while enroute to a restaurant. [REDACTED] said she did not report the incidents to AmeriCorps officials at that time because she feared she would be terminated from the program and because Mr. Johnson was assisting her in obtaining acceptance into the United States Military Academy, where she subsequently enrolled.

In addition, former SAC High teacher Mr. Erik Jones (Ex. 12 hereto) reported that a former AmeriCorps Member, [REDACTED], reported to him, sometime in 2007, that, while at SAC High, Mr. Johnson had inappropriately touched her. Mr. Jones stated that [REDACTED] had reported that Mr. Johnson started massaging her shoulders and then reached over and touched her breasts. (Attempts to interview [REDACTED] have been so far unsuccessful.) Mr. Jones related that, after he reported this incident to St. HOPE Academy officials, he was contacted by Mr. Hiestand, Mr. Johnson’s attorney, but who identified himself solely as St. HOPE’S counsel, and stated he was conducting an internal investigation. Mr. Hiestand told Mr. Jones that [REDACTED's] “story” was different from Mr, Jones’ and told Mr. Jones to change his “story” and then go back to work. Mr. Jones, realizing what he was being asked to do, elected to resign as a teacher and left SAC High. [

Washington City Paper

]

Rhee’s involvement with Johnson’s legal problems only became known after Republican lawmakers demanded an investigation into Walpin’s firing, which appears to be politically motivated because he had tried to stop Johnson from receiving federal stimilus money due to the corruption surrounding his AmeriCorps money:

In August 2008, at the time Walpin referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney, he also presented the evidence of misuse of federal money to officials at the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps. In September 2008, those officials barred Johnson from receiving any more federal money.

All this was happening as Johnson was running for mayor of Sacramento, a race he won in November 2008. Johnson’s suspension from receiving federal money became a hot issue in early 2009 after Congress passed the $787 billion stimulus bill. Many people in Sacramento worried that the city would not be able to get its share of that money if the mayor was banned from receiving federal dollars.

Amid that atmosphere of anxiety, in April of this year, the U.S. Attorney’s office announced a deal under which St. Hope would pay back about half of the money it received from AmeriCorps and, in return, Johnson would no longer be banned from receiving federal money. Brown released a statement saying the settlement “removes any cloud whether the City of Sacramento will be prevented from receiving much-needed federal stimulus funds.”

The deal was made by Brown and top officials at the Corporation for National and Community Service — Walpin was cut out of the process. He strongly disagreed with the arrangement, suspecting that it came about more for political reasons than prosecutorial ones. The new report takes his side, saying Brown’s “motivation to reach a settlement was not to protect the financial interests of the United States, but rather to remove Johnson from the suspended parties list in order to ensure Sacramento’s eligibility to receive stimulus funds.” Neither Brown nor the U.S. Attorney’s office cooperated with the Grassley/Issa investigation. [

Washington Examiner

]

Her is Rhee’s part of the cover up:

Rhee’s involvement in the probe stems from the statements of

Jacqueline Wong-Hernandez

, a former St. Hope staff member, to federal investigators. According to an interview report, Wong-Hernandez told an investigator that Rhee was well known as someone who filled several roles with Johnson’s St. Hope organization and would use Johnson’s office when she was in town. Wong-Hernandez said that Rhee ‘played the role as “Damage Control”. When there was a problem at St. HOPE, Ms. Rhee was there the next day taking care of the problem.’

When the sexual misconduct allegations were raised, Rhee contacted Wong-Hernandez to figure out what had happened, telling her “she was making this her number one priority and she would take care of the situation.” Subsequently, Wong-Hernandez found out that Johnson’s lawyer had contacted the accuser, after which the accuser dropped the complaint.

Disgusted with how the incident had been handled, Wong-Hernandez quit St. Hope, and it was Rhee who conducted the exit interview. She told Rhee the reason she was leaving was the way St. Hope had handled the sexual misconduct allegation. According to the interview report, “Ms, Wong-Hernandez also informed Ms. Rhee that she didn’t trust the management at St. HOPE. Ms. Rhee documented the interview in her daily planner and responded to Ms. Wong-Hernandez by thanking her for bringing it to her attention how disorganized the program had become. Ms. Rhee didn’t try to talk Ms. Wong-Hernandez into staying.”

The L.A. Times further reports that Rhee spoke directly to Walpin, having discussions “in which she made the case for Johnson and the school he ran in Sacramento” and described Johnson as “a good guy.” [

Washington City Paper

]

Not the most blatant cover up attempt, but still shady. This inicident really takes a hit at Rhee’s creditability. If she couldn’t ensure AmeriCorps money wasn’t being fraudently spent and workers weren’t being sexually harassed at St. Hope what creditability should people have in her ability to reform the DC schools?

Here opponents already smell blood in the water.

Tags: Kevin Joh

[papsrus]

But our laws don't codify our morality. That's why we have the (n/2 + 7) rule for such cases.

Ah yes. The old n/2+7 rule. Of course.

[RDK]

Anybody see Bob Costas' interview with Sandusky? Sandusky's defense is apparently that he's also spent time with hundreds of young boys that he didn't rape. He kinda strikes me as one of those nuts who truly has no idea that what he did (okay, allegedly did) was even wrong.

Kinda like Michael Jackson.

[alocispepraluger102]

"i did stop it."

mcqueary interview

NOW we know why McQueary played in Sandusky's golf outing one month after witnessing Sandusky rape a child in the Penn State locker room

this investigation is heading into football 'death penalty' land.

Edited November 15, 2011 by alocispepraluger102

[7/4]

Anybody see Bob Costas' interview with Sandusky? Sandusky's defense is apparently that he's also spent time with hundreds of young boys that he didn't rape. He kinda strikes me as one of those nuts who truly has no idea that what he did (okay, allegedly did) was even wrong.

Kinda like Michael Jackson.

Exactly what I was thinking.

[Jim R]

Anybody see Bob Costas' interview with Sandusky? Sandusky's defense is apparently that he's also spent time with hundreds of young boys that he didn't rape.

That, plus the idea that it's perfectly normal for a man to have a habit of taking showers with kids... alone... late at night... in secluded locations...

What bothered me the most was when his lawyer stated that they had found the 2002 victim, and that he would come forward saying that the rape never happened.

[JSngry]

IIRC, he siad that they "believe" they have found him..or something like that...there was definitely some lawyerly hedging going on...

[Aggie87]

What bothered me the most was when his lawyer stated that they had found the 2002 victim, and that he would come forward saying that the rape never happened.

How can anyone prove/disprove that the person who comes forward now is the same person that was allegedly raped in 2002? If he was 10-12 then, he'd be 19-21 now. Difficult to tell if it's the same person - the only witness was McQueary, and he presumably hasn't seen the victim since 2002. Sandusky's lawyer could pay and trot any 20 year old out and have that person say Sandusky never raped him.

Unless the state has already interviewed the actual victim, and can confirm it is the same person (?).

Edited November 16, 2011 by Aggie87

[alocispepraluger102]

What bothered me the most was when his lawyer stated that they had found the 2002 victim, and that he would come forward saying that the rape never happened.

How can anyone prove/disprove that the person who comes forward now is the same person that was allegedly raped in 2002? If he was 10-12 then, he'd be 19-21 now. Difficult to tell if it's the same person - the only witness was McQueary, and he presumably hasn't seen the victim since 2002. Sandusky's lawyer could pay and trot any 20 year old out and have that person say Sandusky never raped him.

Unless the state has already interviewed the actual victim, and can confirm it is the same person (?).

that angle never occurred to me, or most folks. (thx)

as in politics, precious little will now ensue but self serving spin and lies, opportunism, and astronomical legal fees. the little people will be even more trampled and used by the system.

i would be shocked if anyone spends a day in jail.

[Christiern]

I think there will definitely be jail time—the question is, will it be a token term? The interview with Costa should all but seal Sandusky's fate, Horseplay, indeed! With all the lawsuits this is bound to generate, Penn State faces a bleak future—and deservedly so.

[Brad]

Deadspin.com has a timeline of events today which, in part, shows how many people and organizations knew what was going on but yet Sandusky wasn't stopped. See Penn State timeline.

It really is incredible. You can't speak for non-Penn State individuals and organizations, but the only inescapable conclusion you can draw from the Penn State organizations and individuals who knew is that it was all about protecting the brand and the stream of income from the football program.

[Pete C]

Oh, I think Sandusky will face real hard time and will get his just desserts in a shower.

[RDK]

Curiouser and curiouser...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/sports/ncaafootball/in-july-paterno-transferred-ownership-of-home-to-his-wife-for-1.html?_r=1

[alocispepraluger102]

dan bernstein column

By Dan Bernstein-

CBSChicago.com Senior Columnist

(CBS) I couldn't look at Robbie Gould or Anthony Adams without thinking about what occurred at their alma mater. Sorry.

I want to care only that the Bears dismantled and humiliated Detroit, ran their record to 6-3, and established themselves as something more than a fringe postseason contender.

I want to freely celebrate Devin Hester's magic, the resurgent defensive backfield, the relentless Julius Peppers, and some old-fashioned bad blood.

But I have been seeing football more through a cloud of anger, revulsion and sadness.

It's not that I'm choosing to be so mindful of the events of the past week – believe me, there's something to be said for the real value of escapism. It's that I simply cannot entirely escape, yet, as the game's images keep morphing back into something sinister.

I can't watch coaches coach without wondering what else they do. I can't hear messages about charity efforts without thinking awful, truly unfair things. I see throngs of cheering fans and think more about the game's vast power over simple minds, how it is used to build great myths and shroud terrible truths.

Even the usual, gung-ho military imagery reminds me that I'd prefer to see some ferocious-looking helicopters hovering over State College, disgorging black-clad rappellers to seize computers and drag conspirators away to places that don't exist.

For More Bears Coverage:

Bernstein: Trying To Enjoy Bears Amid PSU Anger

Shepkowski: Good, Bad and Ugly Of Bears-Lions

Hoge: Stafford's Frustration Boils Over As Bears Dominate

Gallery: Bears 37, Lions 13

If you can shake the image of the tone-deaf cultists genuflecting at the Joe Paterno statue Saturday, I'm envious, as an icon that would be better defaced and toppled was instead worshipped. These were not drunken, leaderless student rioters, but grown adults who should know better.

If you could listen to those chilling, bizarre chants of "We are Penn State!" and not seethe as they sound to you more like "We support the decades-long conspiracy to aid, abet and conceal the rape and molestation of children!", then you are stronger than I.

Saturday gave us uncomfortable mixed messages about the importance of football in our lives – "healing" through ignorance and distraction, praying en masse after the fact to some god who was apparently powerless for years in the face of evil, displays of support for bad people for bad reasons, and the apparent belief that redemption could come via scoreboard.

That was all still echoing during the Bears game. While I tried to keep my internal tuner from slipping, I guess my compartmentalization skills need work.

(It didn't help my efforts that Deadspin broke a story during the game that the judge that set Jerry Sandusky's $100,000 unsecured bail is a Second Mile volunteer. Prosecutors had asked for $500,000 and a required leg-monitor.)

We will do our thing and cover the Bears' snap-back to quality, enjoying the season's most satisfying win to date and ratcheting up expectations, while still dealing with the burgeoning hideousness in Happy Valley.

And there will be more news this week of civil suits in the works, more victims coming forward, and the possible involvement of the FBI and other agencies. All roads will lead back to a primitive town, in a state where the unfortunate influence of a game has made its citizens something less than human.

The lens through which I view football is glowing red hot right now.

It will stop, soon. As the regular routine returns, the wrath dissipates into something heavy and grim, but bearable.

At least I hope so.

Dan Bernstein has been the co-host of "Boers and Bernstein" since 1999. He joined the station as a reporter/anchor in 1995. The Boers and Bernstein Show airs every weekday from 1PM to 6PM on The Score, 670AM. Read more of Bernstein's columns here. Follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein.

Listen to The Boers and Bernstein Show podcasts >>

<br class="Apple-interchange-newline">

[alocispepraluger102]

more from today's nyt:

nyt article

[Dave James]

I believe what we have here is a fairly large orion from which only the very topmost layers have so far been peeled.

[Chuck Nessa]

Since I do not know how to peel an orion, I think u must mean onion.

A large orion is another thing.