Classic Mistake

How often do people have to make the same mistake before it finally sinks in that that is not the way to handle revelations of criminal and bad behavior? I'm talking to you Penn State. This institution and its highly-acclaimed and successful football program has been rocked to the core because of the alleged criminal behavior of one of the coaches on its team. It seems as if over a number of years he has been sexually abusing young boys. Just as tragically, folks within the organization knew about it and did little of note to stop this man's perverse behavior or did what should have been done from the beginning: go to the police.

One early consequence of this scandal is that the team's legendary coach, Joe Paterno, has been dismissed. Many are protesting this decision because of the affection and regard they have for this man who is the most successful coach in college football history. I, however, believe his removal was the best and right thing to do. From a public relations standpoint, this decision demonstrates the institution's commitment to running a clean program and the seriousness in which it is taking this matter. Further, their decision to dismiss Paterno illustrates that no one, regardless of their reputation or standing in the community, is deserving of special treatment when the law is involved.

Looking at what is happening at Penn State, I am reminded of the scandals involving the Catholic Church. It, too, has had problems with people of authority sexually abusing young boys. Church authorities also demonstrated poor and immoral judgment when dealing with their internal challenges scandals involving the sexual abuse of young boys. Both organizations tried to protect themselves rather than deal with the problem in an honest and forthright way. In the case of Penn State, it has suffered a major setback in its reputation. It now has an enormous hole of of which it is going to be digging for years to come. Good public relations is about being honest and transparent and placing those values above all else. Penn State needs to get on board with that.