PA--Victims blast new Paterno beer

For immediate release: Monday, June 22, 2015

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected])

We’re dismayed that a new beer will be named after Penn State coach Joe Paterno.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/06/joe_paterno_getting_beer_named.html

A statue, a bridge, now a beer. Why can’t Paterno fans leave well enough alone? Why must they insist on heaping more recognition on a man who could and should have stopped a child molesting coach much sooner?

In life, Paterno got many honors. In death, he still gets considerable respect. Can’t this be done privately? Why must football fans insist on publicly praising a man who admits not doing enough to protect kids?

Why does loyalty to a deceased coach trump, in so many people’s minds, compassion for living abuse victims?

http://www.snapnetwork.org/pa_victims_blast_proposed_state_paterno_bridge_honor

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 15,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers and, increasingly, victims who were assaulted in a wide range of institutional settings like orphanages, summer camps, athletic programs, Boy Scouts, etc . Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, [email protected])

SNAP Network is a GuideStar Gold Participant