His inaction allowed Sandusky to rape kids. One word to the proper people and Sandusky would have been stopped.
“Everyone in State College knew about the 1998 investigation...”
DID they? No charges were filed. That would be private information in Iowa. I’m sure there were rumors, but then again maybe there weren’t.
Now IF the details of that, i.e. the on tape confession, came to Joe’s ears, now that’s a different story. But we have no proof that it did, other than second hand I doubt he was privy to the actual police report. Even so Joe suspected something because Sandusky was booted out. But that was suspicion only as far as we know.
‘Suspicion’ is not ‘knowing’. Moving heaven and earth on suspicion is at best risky. I’ve done that myself only to be dead wrong and caused more damage than I sought to fix. You are a bit more limited when confined to suspicion.
Even the second incident in 2002 - again the authorities found nothing. There was still no proof other than the word of McQueary, so even if Joe believed McQueary he still had no real proof but just suspicion.
Should he have followed up? Yes. Should he have moved heaven and earth? You say he should have give a word to the proper people. Well guess what, that was done in 1998 and they ignored a TAPED CONFESSION. What would have going to the cops done on the word of a grad student done in 2002?