Many people in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal have said the emphasis should remain on protecting and serving the victims of this incident.
I agree.
But if that is the case, why has so much emphasis been placed on Joe Paterno, and not Jack Raykovitz?
You probably don’t even know who that is.
More than a week after the scandal broke, the bulk of the media focus – and public anger – remains toward the iconic football coach and assistant coach Mike McQueary.
In case you have been on vacation in rural Kazakhstan, both men have faced well-deserved scrutiny over their failure to report an alleged rape of a child to police in 2002.
Aside from losing his job, Paterno had his name removed from the Big Ten championship trophy, and was subject to a New York Times investigation into the recent sale of his home to his wife.
McQueary has been placed on administrative leave, and has been ridiculed for not being ‘man enough’ to fight Sandusky.
But like Paterno, McQueary and former Penn State President Graham Spanier – whom no one discusses anymore – Raykovitz was informed of the incident in 2002.
Why? Raykovitz was the CEO of The Second Mile – the charity that supplied the kids to Sandusky.
A licensed school psychologist who once treated clients in the State College area, Raykowitz headed charity for the past 28 years. And according to Sandusky’s autobiography, he was instrumental in its founding 1977.
On Monday, via a press release, he resigned from his position, four days after the scandal brought down legendary football coach Joe Paterno. By Tuesday, he, like Spanier, was no longer a topic for discussion.
Paterno deserves blame. But if we are truly invested in finding justice for the victims, far more attention should go toward the one person who had the most power, the most opportunity – and frankly, the biggest moral and professional obligation – to stop this.
What did Raykovitz know?
Based on grand jury testimony, Raykovitz was informed in 2002 by Penn State officials that Sandusky had – at the very least – been caught engaging in inappropriate behavior with a Second Mile child. Yet like Paterno, University President Graham Spanier, and Athletic Director Tim Curley, Raykowitz opted not to inform police about the incident.
What was the child psychologist’s excuse? Since Penn State didn’t act, why should The Second Mile?
It is more than likely that Raykovitz knew about the first allegation in 1998. The Centre County district attorney’s office investigated a charge against Sandusky made by the parent of a Second Mile participant. That charge was not pursued by then Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar.
Unless both he and the police were incompetent, Raykovitz – while not named in the report – had to have been informed about case.
The most inexcusable act of Raykovitz, however, may have taken place in 2008.
According to several news stories, Sandusky told Raykovitz — and the board of directors — he was under investigation for sex crimes against children.
Did he or anyone else from the board go to police? No. Sandusky was told he could no longer see children . . . at The Second Mile events.
But that investigation didn’t’ stop Raykovitz from using Sandusky to as a fundraising tool for the organization.
In a 2009 article published in the Centre Daily Times, Sandusky was interviewed at the organization’s annual charity golf event.
The article, which describes Sandusky as “the soul of The Second Mile,” features a subtle, backhanded pitch from alleged pedophile.
“We don’t rely on government funding. It’s difficult times, and in the world of athletics you usually find out who your real friends are in difficult times. Fortunately, there’s a lot of people who have helped us and continue to help us.”
How strong was the help? The Second Mile announced in January of this year its plan to build an $8.5 million learning center.
“We anticipate because of the expanded space we’ll be able to serve even more children,” a Second Mile represented said in a CDT article.
One would think that a man trained to deal with abused children, a man who understand the psychological damage abuse causes, would have been the most apt to take these allegations seriously. One would think that, at the very least, the CEO of an organization he helped build would distance the program from Sandusky.
But he didn’t. Staying in the background, he continued to raise money. He continued to earn a six-digit salary. And he continued to allow Sandusky to be around children for another six years after the 2002 incident.
The Press and Public’s Role in Scandal’s Coverage
My question is, where is the outrage over this man’s actions? Why were people not demeaning, en mass, severe punishments against The Second Mile, the organization that – contrary to popular opinion – is at the center of this scandal?
The answer is obvious – and sickening.
The media would much rather play this – as the Wall Street Journal did this weekend – as “Penn State sex-scandal” associated “with a charity,” as opposed to the opposite. They would rather highlight the drama of a fallen icon, than investigate the actions of Sandusky’s closest associates.
And if we are truly honest, the public would rather hear about Paterno’s indirect involvement in this, than as opposed to detail involving the staff of The Second Mile.
The high ratings enjoyed by ESPN and other news outlets confirm as much.
Quite frankly, people like to see people crash and burn. It’s human nature. It’s drama.
But if we want justice in the case, we need to refocus our perspective, refocus our reporting and get to the bottom of how extensive this scandal was throughout the State College community.
We need less Paterno, and more Raykovitz.
– Letrell Deshan Crittenden
Posted on November 16, 2011
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