Steve McIntyre writes about what many of us have been thinking about Penn State’s failures at investigating its own, such as the appearance of a whitewash investigation done about Dr. Michael Mann and Climategate. He writes:
On the same day that Nature published yet another editorial repudiating public examination of the conduct of academic institutions, Penn State President Graham Spanier was fired from his $813,000/year job for failing to ensure that a proper investigation was carried out in respect to pedophilia allegations in Penn State’s hugely profitable football program. The story is receiving massive coverage in North America because the iconic Penn State football coach, Joe Paterno, was also fired today.
CA readers are aware of Spanier’s failure to ensure proper investigation of Climategate emails and his untrue puffs about the ineffective Penn State Inquiry Committee, reported at CA here and by the the Penn State Collegian as follows:
…
Spanier was fired not because of any personal role in the Sandusky football scandal, but because of negligence on his part in ensuring that the allegations were properly investigated. This was not the only case in which Spanier failed to ensure proper investigation of misconduct allegations. As noted above, Spanier had falsely reported to the Penn State trustees and the public that the Penn State Inquiry Committee had properly interviewed critics and had examined the Climategate documents and issues “from all sides”.
Full story here
And a conservative republican as the gov has an opportunity to enfluence spaniers replacement,tough times for Penn state 😉
I don’t think we’ve heard the last of either scandal. When someone shows such gross negligence, perhaps even willful deceipt, all prior actions should be investigated.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_defamation_law
Penn State goes the extra mile to protect the profit its centers. Football and Mann both bring in a lot of dough to spread around.
And what about the University of East Anglia?
BTW there’s an excellent comment IMHO over at CA.
What has done more damage to society. Another sex scandal by Sandusky or the Mann-made hockey stick? I believe the later, and until we get our priorities straight, there is not a bright future.
Jeff
Larry in Texas says:
November 11, 2011 at 1:15 am
…….Failure to comply could mean loss, a massive loss, of future grant funds in their entirety, and could also result in Penn State having to give back grant money received over the past 12 years, if not further. How likely is that? It’s going to take long enough to investigate that if a GOP administration is overseeing things when the time comes, Prof. Mann and all his fellows could be in for a world of hurt along with Penn State.
__________________________________________
Don’t hold your breath.
The Democrats and Republicans scratch each others backs behind the scenes. Dems vs Reps is just a Dog & Pony show for the Great Unwashed. The real divide is the wealthy elite vs us peasants.
Do you really think “Socialism” or “Progressivism” could have taken over our schools and media without the benediction of the wealthy who OWN the media and FUND our Universities and politicians????
The biggest cover-up applies to the idea that the Corporate and Banking CEOs are in favor of Capitalism and opposed to Socialism. The truth is exactly the opposite. Socialism promotes government control over everything and that is a very good business strategy for those who control the government laws and bureaucracies – the banking & Corporate CEOs. What we are actually seeing is not “Socialism” but “Neo-Corporatism” using the mask of “Socialism” to tighten control without the “Useful Idiots” wising up to who is actually pulling their strings (and funding their pet NGOs).
If the Republicans swept Clinton’s getting campaign funds from China under the rug when China was considered an “Enemy” of the USA then Mann’s minor indiscretions will be buried too.
Michael J says:
November 11, 2011 at 12:38 am
No jests intended, and no slurs intended, either. But it is spot on! In the criminal realm, it’s called “modus operandi”–the methodology employed or adopted to commit a crime, which is typically consistent within organized crime regardless of the crime, and Penn State appears about as organized in its criminal behavior as the Mafia. Add to that “opportunity” and “motive” and we can see consistent means or psyche driving their criminal behavior–not in just one area, but in several.
After the football sex crime coverup (which was going on before Mann’s coverup and whitewash, by the way), you didn’t really expect the powers-that-be at Penn State to go after something as equally heineous as genocide-promoting CAGW policy supported by Mann, did you?
No, you’re right; they never would–that would be inconsistent. There was way, way too much money involved–in “climsci” grants just like there was in their football program.
Did I just see someone dive down a mannhole cover?
Spanier was fired not because of any personal role in the Sandusky football scandal, but because of negligence on his part in ensuring that the allegations were properly investigated. This was not the only case in which Spanier failed to ensure proper investigation of misconduct allegations.
Yeah, I’m sure there were a lot of us who thought something along this line.
We’ll see if this does indeed spill over into either Mann or FOIAs.
Speaking of timing, it might be a good idea to hit PSU with a few FOIAs for info relating to Michael Mann. I think at this point, they want the least amount of bad publicity about stonewalling a search for truth.
Nah, Spanier is a perfectly normal corporate executive. His responses to everything are perfectly standard lawyered-up responses. His instinct is to keep the money coming in at all costs.
Drawing the analogy won’t help. Our media, courts and other institutions will NEVER be worried about bad science that BRINGS IN MILLIONS IN GRANTS, and will NEVER fire anyone for bad science that BRINGS IN MILLIONS IN GRANTS. They are firing executives in this case because the exposed bad sex threatens to STOP the flow of MILLIONS IN ALUMNI CONTRIBUTIONS.
Always the MONEY. Always the MILLIONS. Nothing else.
Are you kidding me -> $813,000/year “job”. What were his responsibilities?? Did he Innovate anything to help solve the energy crisis?
Oh, he must be in the entertainment business……………………………
“As both sides argue about whether the messages should ultimately be made public, the two legal decisions come as welcome news to those (including this journal) who believe that access to personal correspondence is a freedom too far.”
The specious comment above shows the absurdity of Nature magazine. No one is asking for personal correspondance what is being requested is access to public records, ie the emails Mann produced while working as a public servant.
Gary Hladik says:
“It seems in both cases (that we know of so far) President Spanier was trying to protect Penn State’s revenue stream with his “internal investigations”, or lack thereof. Dang, and here I thought that our hallowed universities were above such conflicts of interest. /sarc”
I think Penn should argue the merits of protecting finances and reputation, once again, just as for FOI requests.
They could have a Penn State official oversee what gets admitted to court.
Hopefully helps in some way in Tim Ball’s defence against Mann’s lawsuit.
From the Nature editorial, I noted the following:
“Mann is also getting help from a new fund especially designed to aid climate scientists hit by legal challenges…”
Does anyone know what that’s all about? More climate ca$h from private organizations? I wonder who they are…
@David Falkner
Thanks for the link to “What Is An American”.
Yes, a perfect essay for Veteran’s Day.
http://old.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-ferrara092501.shtml
Another instance of how integrity and grant funding have now almost become mutually exclusive.
It is definitely over the top to make an analogy between the overlooking of a heinous crime like paedophile rape and the distorted workings of a disreputable ‘scientist’.
Nevertheless, both the individuals involved clearly deserve our deepest condemnation and contempt. Also, anyone who is in any way party to the actions of either of these individuals being ignored/whitewashed should as a minimum face dismissal from their position.
For all those wishing to empty out the contents of their stomachs please read this in regards to Mann etc.
http://profmandia.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/donation/
Although there appears to be a pattern here, comparing crimes against children and the cover-up of those crimes is magnitudes worse than anything Mann is alleged to have done.
Personally, I believe Mann engaged in academic fraud by conspiring to cover up problems with his hockey stick and deny skeptics and detractors the right to have their scientific criticisms published. But it also occurs to me that perhaps Mann is more of a bad scientist than an outright fraud or charlatan.
Let’s also don’t forget that college football is big business. It’s a money-maker for the big schools. When was the last time tens of thousands of people showed up in person to watch an academic debate? How big are the network sports contracts to broadcast algebra lectures?
Bob says:
November 11, 2011 at 4:31 am
Of course Penn State will rally around one of its faculty, particularly when his work supports a strongly held political belief. But equating the Mann cover-up to the cover-up of the rape of a 10-year-old (and quite possibly other activities) is a bit of a stretch.
I cannot agree with you entirely, although I take the point you are making. However, I do not believe that lying for a noble cause, (alleged or otherwise), is any better than just lying, it is still lying when all said & done! 🙂
It is definitely over the top to make an analogy between the overlooking of a heinous crime like paedophile rape and the distorted workings of a disreputable ‘scientist’.
Let’s also don’t forget that college climate science is big business. It’s a money-maker for the big schools. When was the last time tens of thousands of people showed up in person to sign international agreements on football ? How big are the network broadcasts of football practice ?
McQueary got the football and handed it off to Paterno who quickly lateraled to Curley who tucked the ball in to hide it and kept running. As the coach, Spanier had his back to the field discussing the next game.
“University of Pennsylvania, Class of ’76 says:
November 11, 2011 at 4:04 am
Chuck Nolan, this happened at PENN STATE, not UNIV OF PENNSYLVANIA!”
U of Penn: I think I can help out. Think this menmonic: “PENN STATE – STATE PENN”. I’m sure this will help clarify matters.