Don Van Natta, Jr. is reporting that sources with firsthand knowledge of the Penn State Board of Trustees recent meetings have said the statue will not be torn down, at least for now. The merits of tearing down the statue versus leaving it up can be debated until we're all blue in the face, and there are reasonable points both pro and con. But the board appears to be paralyzed by the same problems the Freeh Report found with the University's highest ranking officials.

The trustees' reluctance to remove the statue is motivated, in part, by a desire not to offend alumni and students who adore the late coach despite the damning findings of his role in the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse cover-up detailed in the Freeh report, the sources said.


Tear it down; don't tear it down. At the end of the day, it's just a statue. The real problem is the decision-makers at Penn State continue to concern themselves with matters of perception or fear of a backlash.

But remember, the board of trustees for a major academic institution embroiled in a national controversy is seriously debating whether or not to tear down a statue honoring a football coach. So, you know, maybe that's your problem right there.


Image via Getty



Sources: Joe Paterno's statue stays [ESPN]