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Penn State Scandal Raises Questions About Mandatory Reporting LawsIn Alaska, only people working in certain positions of authority are required by law to report allegations of child abuse.Related Content
Penn State's head football coach Joe Paterno has come under fire for not doing more after he received a report nearly a decade ago of alleged sexual abuse of a child involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
Paterno reported the alleged abuse to school officials but not to police, and many people are wondering why he didn’t. “It is surprising because we have laws in place to help provide protection for children. In a similar situation there should have been some report to an official capacity,” said Kim Guay, a child welfare administrator with the Alaska Office of Children’s Services. Here in Alaska, only people working in positions of authority, like teachers, child care providers, and employees who provide counseling or treatment are required by law to report allegations of child abuse. Anyone outside of this group is not required to tell the police, but officers say it doesn't mean it's okay to stay quiet. “Morally, obviously people should report any type of child abuse that they see, regardless of whether they are mandated or not,” said Anchorage police spokesman Lt. Dave Parker. Anchorage police say the only way to stop abuse is to say something when you see it. |
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Brent said on Wednesday, Nov 16 at 3:16 PM
Notice the article states " if they SEE it"....Joe never SAW IT or WITNESSED IT first hand. All he can do is REPORT IT and did so. Calling the police now becomes the respoonsibility of the one who SAW IT......not the second hand person recieving info. This protects people who can be falsley accused. The man who WITNESSED IT only reported it and DID NOTHING. Joe reported it and left it to the investigators. What could Joe do as the ACT HAD ALREADY OCCURED EVEN BEFORE HE HAD KNOWLEDGE OF IT??? The true villans have yet to be pursued.
77045204PATERNO SHOULD HAVE GONE TO POLICE said on Sunday, Nov 13 at 2:01 PM
reporting it to the higher officials at Penn State is like the blind leading the blind. He was 100% WRONG!!!!Obiviously...cause NOTHING wa done.He is not much better than the PERP..
76864176Individual Responsibility said on Saturday, Nov 12 at 11:59 PM
I am praying for Paterno to have justice for the injustice of being slandered and fired on grounds that are unfair. I pray for McQuery to have conviction to take responsibility for being a witness and NOT doing the right thing. I pray for the ones in Authority at the time Paterno reported the incident that was relayed to him. I even pray for Sandusky to confess and take responsibility for his actions and seek forgiveness IF he did it and is found guilty. I pray for people to have understanding and if they are not fit to judge righteously, to just shut up because not everyone is in a position to judge and use both "heart and smarts." I pray that we listen to the whole story and then hopefully judge right instead of guess wrong and speculate hurting more people in the process. I pray that all the people that are victims heal. I pray that more victims will hurt as a result of all the talk that is not all right, I pray for the truth to set people free. I pray for justice for all....
76844714whohiresthesecrazies said on Saturday, Nov 12 at 8:19 PM
we don't necessarily need more laws. i "vote" for more use of common sense, more use of heart and smarts, and i "vote" for lifesentence or DP, and NO BAIL for sandusky and similar bad guys.
76841238whohiresthesecrazies said on Saturday, Nov 12 at 8:11 PM
prayers for each survivor of sandusky's mistreatment, and everyone at penn state... and hopefully DP or lifesentence for sandusky.
76841087THis is for "Coward" and "Like the blind rat" said on Saturday, Nov 12 at 4:09 PM
Hey Coward, if you are calling Paterno a Coward think twice you incompetent fool. Yeah, that is what I said, compompetent fool. McQuery WITNESSED the event and HE IS THE COWARD....and this if for "Blind Rat", maybe you are looking the other way and allowing false acusations ruin an innocent like Paterno who did not witness anything and did report it, MCQUERY is the blind rat that looked away and tried to push it on another to tell of his own story he witnessed. The case will hold McQuery as KEY WITNESS and all the others above Paterno that Paterno tried to report to let it stop when it got to their hands and did not report so they are the blind rats too....get your emotions out of the way and put your thinking cap on before the slander and libelous comments ruin the reputation of an innocent man like Paterno who did what HE COULD....he did not commit the crime nor did he witness so he could not properly take any testimony to the police, that was McQury's burden to do...
76835292Sandwitched said on Saturday, Nov 12 at 2:58 PM
This is the sandwitch Paterno was in: McQuery witnessed Sandusky committing a crime.( Top Bread) McQuery then reported to Paterno because HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO and go to the police (middle of the sandwitch) and then Paterno proceeded to report the incident that McQuery witnessed and allegations to McCurly, Spanier, and Shultz that should have acted on that chain of command and brought it to authorities. (Outside bread) The beginning event of the actual witness and the end event of reporting should have been done. Paterno had nothing to do with this, he did not do the gross act nor did he ignore the situation, he brought it to HIS authority from an allegation by Mcquery. How could he know if Mcquery was telling the truth when he did not witness it firsthand? Something is not right from all the scapegoating and blaming.....
76833562Confusing said on Saturday, Nov 12 at 2:46 PM
Well again, this whole story is sidetracked by opinions and feelings that stir confusiton on the facts stated. First of all, grad assistant student McQuery WITNESSED the crime Sandusky did. Then he turned around and reported to his supervisor Paterno. Paterno then reported to his supervisor athletic director McCurly, Penn State rep's Spanier, and Schultz who are all above Paterno and in the authority position to act the chain of command procedure they all used. First of all Sandusky if proven guilty will pay, McQuery who witnessed it will have to answer on why HE did not go directly to the police. As for Paterno who DID not witness the event, in a moment of question took that information to his supervisors and from there it is out of his hands. It is an ugly mess, but when you get to the bottom of it two names stand out, Sandusky the perpetrator and McQuery the witness. Paterno did the right thing and brought it to his higher up, stop the witch hunt and get the facts straight...
76833232COWARD said on Friday, Nov 11 at 9:02 PM
HE RAN LIKE A COWARD AND REALLY DID NOTHING TO HELP THE POOR KID
76809773LIKE THE BLIND RAT! said on Friday, Nov 11 at 1:52 PM
If you see a crime, especially against children and don't report it,again and again until someone does something, your as guilty as the filthy perp that committed the crime.Throw them all in jail. Its sickening how these perverted men get away with crimes like this FOR SO LONG! DISGUSTING! The parents hould SUE Penn State.
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