As Penn State prepares for tomorrow’s sanctions from the NCAA, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests(SNAP) is pushing for the maximum penalty for the school's football program. Joelle Casteix, the SNAP western regional director, released the following statement:
Tomorrow, the NCAA will reportedly announce penalties for Penn State.
It can't be any simpler. Want to protect innocent kids? Push for the maximum penalty. Want to protect corrupt officials? Push for something less.
For years, top school and football staffers selfishly, quietly but consistently let a credibly accused child molester have access to kids. For years, that predator raped those kids. And top Penn State managers could have stopped these devastating crimes.
If that doesn’t warrant the toughest NCAA penalty, what does?
If the school’s football games are suspended, innocent adults in Happy Valley will suffer. That’s sad. But there’s something much worse. Right now, thousands of innocent kids – some in Happy Valley – are suffering even more. They’re being sexually assaulted. And adults who suspect or know of the crimes and could perhaps stop the crimes are, like Penn State officials did with Sandusky, saying or doing little or nothing.
That must change. And it will only change when those who conceal and enable child sex crimes are severely punished.
Some grownups who see or suspect predators are attacking kids are too scared to call police. That must change. And it will only change when those grownups become even more scared of what will happen to them if they do not call police.
So, yes, some adults in Happy Valley will – for a few years – be disappointed and lose some income if Penn State football isn’t played for a few years.
But right now, many more adults are already suffering. Why? Because they were sexually assaulted as kids and adults who knew or suspected the heinous crimes are too timid to speak. So those predators walk free and hurt more kids while their adult victims suffer with depression, addictions, isolation, shame, self-blame, eating disorders, failed relationships
So for the protection of kids who are being molested now, and for the healing of adults who are suffering right now, the NCAA should suspend Penn State football for years.
Every day Penn State isn’t practicing or playing football, thousands of people will be reminded that kids are precious and harming them – thru action or inaction – brings tough penalties.
