Joe Paterno was the legendary head football coach at Penn State University for 46 years. In November 2011, he was fired from the position after it was revealed he failed to report allegations of child sexual abuse by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky to police. While Paterno fulfilled his legal duty by reporting the accusations to his superiors, the public and board of trustees felt he showed poor moral judgment. Paterno passed away in January 2012 from complications of lung cancer treatment. There is debate around whether the stress of the scandal and harsh public criticism contributed to his declining health or if lung cancer was the sole cause of death.

1. Joe Paterno
By: Halil Kanacevic
S

2. Did lung cancer kill Joe
Paterno or did the media?
S

3. The Debate
S When legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno
died of lung cancer on January 22, fans and well-wishers
immediately wondered whether it wasn’t just his lungs,
but also his heart that had broken during his last days in
Happy Valley.

4. The Man
S Paterno became known for his
thick glasses, rolled-up pant legs,
white socks and football cleats.
And as his individual power grew,
Penn State's program became a
behemoth on the national
scene. Beaver Stadium kept
expanding to more than 100,000
seats, and fans and alumni
flocked to games from all over
the northeast.

5. The Fallout
S Paterno, who died of complications from lung-cancer
treatment on Sunday, Jan. 22,2012 at 85, was fired in
November, in part because he failed to report to police
the allegations of child sexual abuse against his former
longtime defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

6. S Paterno fulfilled his legal obligation by reporting the
accusations to his immediate superiors, but Penn State’s
board of trustees, and much of the public, felt that a coach so
celebrated for doing the right thing suffered a grave lapse in
moral judgment.

7. Wrongful Punishment?
S In the wake of the scandal, Paterno was removed from
consideration for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His
name was scrubbed off the trophy given every year to the
football champion of the Big Ten conference.

8. Paterno’s Remorsefulness
S “I wish I had done more,” Paterno admitted after his
dismissal, which caused a minor riot on campus.
Sandusky has been charged with more than 50 counts of
child sexual abuse.

9. A Video of the Story
S http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1zK80YIuyw

10. The Slander Begins

11. The Press
S “Indictment of former Penn State coach on sex-abuse
charges could bring down Paterno,” Philadelphia Inquirer
S “Paterno cannot and should not survive…” Philadelphia
Inquirer

12. Social Media
S Paterno's final chapter, overshadowed by his troubling
connection to the Jerry Sandusky scandal, also was
reflected in the social-media reaction to his death.
Beyond mourning and sadness, it continued the furious
debate over sexual abuse of minors and the proper
responsibilities of onlookers, colleagues, and superiors
who suspect it is happening.

13. Paterno’s Supporters
S Thousands of Penn State students poured onto the
streets around the university tonight after the board of
trustees fired longtime football coach Joe Paterno amid
the growing furor over how the school handled sex abuse
allegations against a former assistant football coach.

15. S http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av_7mZVJcRU

16. Paterno’s final days
S Paterno learned of his cancer diagnosis a few days
before he was removed from the head coaching position
he had held at Penn State for 46 years.

17. S He left the team amid the sex scandal surrounding former
defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, who is charged with
molesting 10 boys over a period of 15 years while under
Paterno’s employ. Paterno was criticized for not going to
authorities immediately when he was first made aware of
allegations against Sandusky in 2002.

18. Paterno’s Class
S My life has been filled with sunshine. A beautiful and
caring wife. Five healthy children. I got to do what I loved.
How many people are that lucky?" – Joe Paterno

19. S Even though Penn State, numerous media outlets, and
certain groups bad mouthed Joe Paterno, he still didn’t budge
and never pointed the finger at anyone. He agreed that he
should of done more and in his dying days he did not blame
the media for his death but a strong argument could be made
against that.

20. R.I.P Joe Paterno

21. Bibliography
S New York Times
S Philadelphia Inquirer
S Sports Illustrated
S U.S.A Today