PR expert Many fumbles by Penn State in handling major crisis

A New Jersey public relations expert said officials at Penn State University should have been prepared for the onslaught of publicity brought on by the allegations that an assistant football coach sexually abused boys.

A New Jersey public relations expert said officials at Penn State University should have been prepared for the onslaught of publicity brought on by the allegations that an assistant football coach sexually abused boys.

“The state attorney general was investigating this back in 2009,” said Tim White, who, as a vice president of Beckerman Public Relations, handles the firm’s crisis and reputation management strategies. “You would think they would have had a general idea as to the course of action they would take if an arrest was made or an indictment came down.”

Jerry Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator for the university’s football team, is accused of sexually abusing at least eight boys over a 15-year period. The Harrisburg Patriot-News had been reporting since March that a grand jury was investigating the accusations, but the story went national Nov. 5, when Sandusky was arrested and charged. University officials continued to fumble their response, as they did since they were made aware of the first incident more than a decade ago.

“Due to the severity of the accusations, I would have expected the board of trustees to let people know they are in control, establishing a clear chain of command internally and issuing a statement with definitive policy decisions,” White said. “They should have placed everyone with knowledge of the situation on administrative leave until the outcome plays out in court. From a PR perspective, you have to assert leadership and take quick and definitive action.

But they let it fester for four days, causing irreparable harm to the university.”

Sandusky’s actions appear to have been widely known for years in the university’s inner circle, but it was kept under wraps, according to published reports. Accusations stretch back at least as far as 1998, when the mother of one victim reported to university police that Sandusky showered with her son in the team’s locker room. No criminal charges were filed, but the following year, Sandusky retired as defensive coordinator. However, he retained extensive privileges on campus, including an office in the athletic facility and keys to the locker rooms.

The scandal so far has cost athletic director Tim Curley, a senior vice president and head coach Joe Paterno their jobs. Another mistake. White said, was allowing the legendary football coach “to speak by himself without a statement from the board of trustees. This added to an ongoing crisis and led to even more hysteria.”