It remains a powerful question in the wake of the Penn State scandal: Why couldn't anyone successfully fight the culture that allowed a child predator to operate on campus for 14 years?

Why couldn’t anyone challenge Joe Paterno?

One answer was sitting at the end of a conference table on the College of New Jersey campus Thursday, her eyes bloodshot from a difficult week. Vicky Triponey did stand up to the all-powerful coach, and her story needs to remain front and center as the discussion moves forward to prevent another tragedy like this in college sports.

Triponey could feel the pressure to leave Penn State, and in 2007, she resigned — and without the unprecedented $168,000 retirement package and keys to the football shower that Sandusky received. She watched with tears in her eyes the night students rioted after Paterno was fired, but didn’t blame them.

She blamed the failing of the institution. She has no interest now in engaging in the debate about whether the school should take down the Paterno statue (it should) or if the NCAA should hit the program with the death penalty (it shouldn’t). She thinks the time is right to tackle bigger topics.

Since CNN.com profiled her last week, she’s received hundreds of e-mails from people who want change. That starts, she believes, with making sure the right people are in charge, administrators who can keep the focus on what’s supposed to be the real mission of a university.

“The conversations I’m seeing unfold, the shift in perspective, has put us in a different place,” she said. “I think there are presidents all over the country taking a step back and saying, ‘Whoa. Wait. We need to have a conversation.’ I think there are fans saying, ‘How are we contributing to this?’ And I know there are coaches questioning. My hope is this is the wakeup call that gets those conversations together.

“Are there any other universities close to where Penn State was? I hope not. I hope this is the most radical example that we will ever, ever find.”

To make sure that’s the case, college sports need more people like Vicky Triponey. People who can stand up to the culture that empowers a coach like Joe Paterno, consequences be damned.

Maybe next time, their warnings will be heard.

Steve Politi: spoliti@starledger.com; twitter.com/StevePoliti