LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — I have had a hard time starting this column. In my head, I know what I want to say. But I want to choose my words carefully.

Ah, the heck with that.

The more information we find out about Penn State and Jerry Sandusky, the more sickened I become. Sickened might even be too lenient of a word. Disgusted and nauseated, wanting to vomit the information back up after I have read it. Yeah, that might be better.

Sandusky was found guilty of 45 counts of the criminal charges against him for child molestation. That we know. He will probably never be a free man, doomed to spend his remaining days locked up like the animal he is.

But according to a report by the Special Investigations Task Force headed up by former FBI director Louis Freeh, other university officials are just as guilty as Sandusky. No, they didn’t sexually abuse any children, but the fact that they allegedly knew Sandusky was doing this and they did nothing to stop him is just as bad.

The report says that four of the most powerful people at Penn State—President Graham B. Spanier, Senior Vice President-Finance and Business Gary C. Schultz, Athletic Director Timothy M. Curley and Head Football Coach Joseph V. Paterno—“failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade. These men concealed Sandusky’s activities from the Board of Trustees, the University community and authorities.”

The report, all 267 pages of it, paints a clear picture of the old boy system, where you take care of your own above anything else. There are damning emails between the parties as they discuss the situation and how to handle it. Yes, these four men were well aware of what Sandusky was doing, yet none of them did anything about it.

Way back in 1998, the mother of one of the victim’s reports to the University Police Department that Sandusky showered with her 11-year old son on the Penn State campus. The police start an investigation, and Schultz was immediately informed of the investigation. So what does he do? Well, in his notes dated May 4, 1998, he writes: “Behavior—at best inappropriate @ worst sexual improprieties” and “At min—Poor Judgment.” He also noted “Is this opening a pandora’s box?” and “Other children?”

At this point and time the situation should have been dealt with swiftly. But it wasn’t.

The University Police Department Chief Harmon emails Schultz and tells him that they are going to hold off making any crime log entry due to a lack of clear evidence of a crime. Hmmm.

At a May 15 board meeting, Spanier does not notify the Board of the ongoing investigation, then in June, the District Attorney declines to bring charges against Sandusky. Now get this. A University police detective and a Department of Public Welfare caseworker interviews Sandusky in the Lasch Building, the same building where he was accused of showering with the child so as not to put Sandusky “on the defensive.” Sandusky admitted to hugging the child in the shower but said there was nothing sexual about it. The detective advised him not to shower with any child, and of course, Sandusky said he wouldn’t.

The evidence continues to point toward Sandusky being a child molester, yet he’s allowed to continue preying upon these young boys. He is even granted “emeritus” rank, which carries several privileges, even though he has retired, including access to University recreational facilities, even though some at Penn State expressed uneasiness about the decision.

So with this free reign, Sandusky continues to lure young boys into his grasp, assaulting another one in the Lasch Building shower in November, 2000 and yet another one on Feb. 9, 2001, this one witnessed by a Penn State assistant coach.

As things continued to spiral out of control, those in charge still did not take appropriate action to stop it. Spanier, Schultz and Curley meet and devise a plan of action in February, 2001, which includes “Tell JS (Sandusky) to avoid bringing children alone into Lasch Bldg.”

Then Curley emailed Schultz and Spanier and says he (Curley) has changed his mind about the plan “after giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe (Paterno).” He proposed telling Sandusky “we feel there is a problem” and offer him “professional help.” Spanier replied “this approach is acceptable to me. The approach you outline is humane and a reasonable way to proceed,” to which Schultz concurred “this is a more humane and upfront way to handle this.”

Humane? Why are they even discussing this? Was Sandusky “humane” in the way he treated those children?

Even after this, the assaults continue, until it all hit the fan and the stories start to unravel. Victims continued to come forward. Just the other day three more men came forward and said they were abused by Sandusky back in the 1970s.

Those men knew what Sandusky was doing, yet did nothing but protect one of their own, while no one was protecting those young boys.

Of course, Paterno resigned, then passed away last year, taking all his secrets with him. Spanier was forced to resign. Schultz and Curry have been charged with perjury and face their own trials. I say lock all three up and let them be sexually molested by the biggest, baddest con and let them know how those young boys felt. Powerless.

And yes, take down the statue of Joe Paterno outside the Penn State football stadium. I don’t care how many good things he did for the university. If, as the report suggests, he knew Sandusky was doing this and did nothing to prevent him from harming any other youngster, then that bad alone outweighs all the good that he accomplished at Penn State.

Or keep it up and replace the plaque with one that reads: “I did nothing to stop a monster who molested young boys.”

sports@sentinel-echo.com