University reacts to Penn State rioting

Both small college towns. Both Big Ten schools. Both used to have coaches that were bigger icons than the school itself.

These similarities have left campus wondering how IU would handle a situation like that of Pennsylvania State University’s current one.  

Head football coach Joe Paterno and university President Graham Spanier were recently fired for allegedly not doing enough after receiving information regarding possible child sex abuse allegations against a former assistant football coach.

Because the full details of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky’s investigation have yet to be uncovered, IU Athletics has not looked into how these events may impact their policies yet, Assistant Athletic Director for Media
Relations J.D. Campbell said.   

“We’re just kind of observing right now,” Campbell said. “We don’t know what all transpired, so it’s kind of hard to make comments until we do know more.”    
 
According to a Daily Collegian article, thousands of Penn State students tore down lampposts, shattered car windows and overturned a news van in a riot Nov. 9, reacting to the firing of Paterno.

Those events have rung eerily similar to those that occurred 11 years ago in reaction to the firing of then-head basketball coach Bob Knight.  

The night after a press conference Sept. 10, 2000, where IU announced Knight’s firing, a peaceful rally turned into a riot as students walked from Assembly Hall to the
Bryan House.

Different groups of students tore down lampposts in the Arboretum, near Woodburn Hall and at Showalter Fountain and burned effigies of then-freshman Kent Harvey, who had reported his confrontation with Knight the previous week.

Students also alledgedly stole the bronze fish, which was the last remaining part of the original sculpture.         

Similar to Paterno’s recent statement to students to show his appreciation for them as they congregated outside his house last week, Knight, as reported in the IDS, returned to campus that night to subdue the riots by speaking to the crowd.

He said he appreciated their support, but said, “Now let’s give (the police) a break so they can go home to their families.”

Currently, the University has implemented policies through the Student Life and Learning office to provide space mechanisms for students to demonstrate peacefully and share differences, Dean of Students Harold “Pete” Goldsmith said.

If a riot similar to the one at Penn State or the one at IU 11 years ago were to occur, Goldsmith said his role would be to try to assist and restore peace.

“I’m hoping that because we have a place for open dialogue we wouldn’t get to that point,” Goldsmith said.

IU students have expressed their opinions on how  administrators and students would react if a similar situation occurred at IU.  

“I don’t think students would riot. It wouldn’t be as big a deal,” senior Mitch Klein said. “Paterno was such a staple, and we don’t really have that anymore.”   

“Probably the same,” freshman Brandon Fleites said. “We’re both Big Ten schools, it’s the same environment. Kids like to make trouble.”  

“I hope students would be more mature and realize (administrators) had to do what was necessary,” junior Jordan Kiel said. “Hopefully, administrators would’ve done it in a more professional fashion not over the phone at 10 p.m. at night.”   

“To be honest, it’s hard to compare. I’m a huge basketball fan. I go to all the games, but we just don’t have the same following as Penn State football does,” senior Elizabeth McGrath said. “Hopefully, students would understand the severity of the situation and not riot. Anytime a scandal involves children it should be taken seriously. And, hopefully, the University would own up and get to the bottom of the situation.” 

“I think we’d be more conscious about our actions. Hopefully, administrators wouldn’t be so quick to react because all the facts aren’t even known yet,” junior Zach Owens said. “I think students would be supportive of sports faculty equally as Penn State. Knowing IU, we’d get rowdy.”

IU has an explicit code in place known as the Whistleblower Policy that can be invoked to handle any sort of “wrongful conduct” that might occur among
employees.

“Indiana University has a responsibility to conduct its affairs ethically and in compliance with the law and university policy. IU employees who make a good faith effort to ‘blow the whistle’ on suspected wrongful conduct are protected under Indiana Code 21-39-3 and IU’s Whistleblower Policy,” according to the University Human Resource Services Staff Handbook.

An anonymous reporting hotline is also available at the Internal Audit website.

Also, under Indiana law, anyone who fails to make a report regarding child abuse can result in a Class B misdemeanor, which can include some prison time and a fine.
“It’s unfortunate what happened at Penn State,” Goldsmith said. “If (rioting) happened here, we would do everything we could to subdue that.”