This reflection paper examines the Penn State sexual abuse scandal as a case study in institutional ethical failure. Drawing on personal professional observations and academic literature on ethics in nursing and education, the author explores how individuals in positions of authority — most notably Joe Paterno — failed to act against a known perpetrator of child abuse. The paper considers why people succumb to institutional pressure, the moral cost of inaction, and how exposure to formal ethics education can reshape personal decision-making. It argues that courage and integrity, not hierarchy or self-interest, must guide ethical choices in any professional context.
Before resuming my educational endeavors at university, I was fortunate enough to experience life and many of its challenges as a business person and employee. During my tenure in those roles, I observed a number of events I considered unethical, and a number of actions taken by individuals that I found both reprehensible and repulsive. I was often amazed at the capacity of people to justify their behavior when it was quite evident that such actions would not be considered ethical under any circumstances, regardless of the justification.
Rather than writing about my own personal experiences regarding ethics, I would like to examine the recent sexual abuse case at Penn State University. It is an instructive case when it comes to ethics, and it affects a large number of people — not only within the local Penn State community, but across the United States as well. This is a case that perfectly illustrates a culture that has gone too far: one that allowed a predator to thrive in an environment of potential victims without anyone taking action to stop him.
Ethics has always been a concern, whether individuals work in education, business, or the medical field. One early study found that many young managers reported being asked — sometimes implicitly — to do things they personally believed were unethical, and sometimes illegal (Badzek, Mitchell, Marra, & Bower, 1998). Often, these young managers feel pressure to take actions not necessarily aligned with their own values, fearing that their jobs could be in jeopardy. At other times, they may succumb to the allure of getting ahead by helping someone accomplish a task, even when that task is not an ethical one.
According to one expert, individuals facing an ethical dilemma often must choose between two or more alternatives, neither of which is pleasant (Chaloner, 2007). In the Penn State case, those with knowledge of what the perpetrator was doing were faced with a choice: go to the police, or remain silent and live with the knowledge that they had done nothing to stop the abuse. One expert states that contacting law enforcement is the first action administrators should take when they suspect a district employee of sexually abusing a student (Dessoff, 2010, p. 51).
Even though many people had to have known about the abuse being perpetrated, no one had the courage to stand up and speak out. Certainly, there were individuals with the power and authority to stop these actions, and by allowing them to continue, they perpetuated a culture of fear for every young boy who was abused.
The American Nurses Association has developed a code for nurse educators stating that teachers should contribute to the evolving body of knowledge and safeguard students and patients from incompetent, illegal, or unethical practices by others (Rosenkoetter & Milstead, 2010). Surely, this same standard should apply to coaches and teachers at other educational institutions as well. The obligation to protect those in one's care from harm is not unique to the nursing profession — it is a universal ethical duty.
What is particularly striking is that, by most accounts, Joe Paterno — the person most responsible for ensuring that the Penn State football program provided a safe learning environment for players, students, and other participants — dismissed the allegations against his assistant coach. Instead of taking immediate action, Paterno allowed the man to remain with the program and maintain close contact with young boys.
This lack of action by the principal figure of authority is a perfect example of allowing money and power to override ethics and honor. Not only do all those young, abused boys have to live with what was done to them, but the entire football program, the Penn State student body, administrators, and even the general public will feel the effects of a handful of people who failed to live ethical lives. The institutional culture that enabled this silence is as culpable as the actions of the perpetrator himself.
What is truly sad about the entire situation is that many of these men of power and authority seemed to have been leading honorable lives. Yet their inaction will totally overshadow any of the good they may have previously displayed. Before taking a formal course on ethics, I might have made some of the same choices made by those who knew and said nothing at Penn State. Could I have witnessed an act as abhorrent as the one committed by the assistant coach and still failed to act? I would hope not — at least not now that I have examined more carefully what ethics and honor truly demand.
"Paterno's failure to act and its institutional consequences"
"How ethics education reshaped the author's moral thinking"
You’re 81% through this paper. Sign up to read the remaining 2 sections.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.