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News with Teeth

Jul 26, 2012 — Categories: , ,

This week’s news that the Paterno statue has been removed from the Penn State campus, the NCAA heavily penalized Penn State with both a fine of $60 million and denied their wins of the football team as well as its future bowl game participation was welcome news.

This week’s news that the Paterno statue has been removed from the Penn State campus, the NCAA heavily penalized Penn State with both a fine of $60 million and denied their wins of the football team as well as its future bowl game participation was welcome news. In addition, Monsignor William Lynn has been sentenced to 3-6 years in prison for covering up priest pedophiles under his supervision in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. 

Some are arguing that the penalties imposed for Penn State and for Monsignor Lynn are too light.  That may be true.  But I must confess that I was surprised at the severity of both; I hadn’t expected much more than a slap on the wrist for either one.

Perhaps finally the message is clear:  for institutional corruption and cover-up, there are institutional consequences.  “The Bishop made me do it;” “We wanted to avoid scandal, bad publicity, and lawsuits;” “We didn’t know.”  No more excuses.  The assumed “institutional protection agenda” employed by both Penn State and the Philadelphia Archdiocese once again simply did not work.  It should be called the “institutional jeopardy agenda.” The way to jeopardize the history and future of an institution is to ignore and cover up evidence of abuse by persons in positions of leadership.

Of course this is all long overdue.  But I think the tide is beginning to turn due to the persistence of survivors and activists in both secular and religious settings.  The message should be clear for all organizations:  sanctions against individual leaders, financial losses, and loss of credibility are inevitable if you take the path of avoidance and cover-up.  Justice-making and responding quickly to disclosures of abuse will save time, money, and institutional credibility and besides, it is the right thing to do to stop abuse and protect others from potential harm.  It is also the least we can do for victims and survivors who deserve an institutional response that takes them seriously and stands with them, not against them.

So if you are a leader in your institution or organization, don’t say you didn’t know the potential consequences of your choices.  Enough is finally enough.

Rev. Dr. Marie M. Fortune
FaithTrust Institute
www.faithtrustinstitute.org

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Document Actions

Penn Penalties

Posted by Ernie Rex at Jul 27, 2012 01:58 PM
Has it changed anything? The NCAA action was to change the culture.



Has it changed antything, I think so

Posted by Minister Simone Travis-Tate at Jul 30, 2012 03:50 PM
@ Ernie,Dr. Fortune has taught me to see world issues through the eyes of survivors and having said that I do think something changed. I saw the bulldozer effect that put holes in the institution and in the symbols that represented the corruption within the institution. I yelled out a big "yeeeah" for the survivors and was reminded of a phrase at the end of a childhood song I use to sing in Sunday School about Joshua's battle at Jericho which stated "And the walls came tumblin' down"..that was the change brother Ernie, that was the change.

Consequences for Institutions

Posted by Judy Callahan at Jul 27, 2012 01:58 PM
Dear Marie: AMEN!

Judy Callahan

News With Teeth

Posted by Lauie Hagen McConkey at Jul 27, 2012 01:59 PM
I'm so excited to read this "news with teeth"! It is rare that Justice is done in these situations - it's a new day, thank you Lord! I will print this out & show it to the Judge in my case against the church who treated me so horrifically.