Former Peen State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky has been charged of sexually abusing 8 children over a 15 year period, some people are wondering if his wife Dottie Sandusky knew or suspected something, did he ever abuse any of their adopted children? What else do we know about Mrs. Sandusky?
Unfortunately the information about Jerry Sandusky’s wife Dottie except for the fact that her maiden name is Dorothy Gross from Chattanooga, Tennessee, they were married adopted six children, some were adopted when they were just infants, others were older. Their eldest is Ray (46) who is a businessman living in Nashville, EJ (41) former Nittany Lions center player, former Albright College’s football coach now assistant football coach at West Chester University., Kara (38) a Penn State graduate, married and who once worked at the university, Jeff, (35) a former Marine, Matt (33) Penn State graduate and Jon also 33 who is Director of Player Personnel for the Cleveland Browns..
Dottie’s children once spoke about the opportunity their parents brought into their lives and future..
“My life changed when I came to live here. There were rules, there was discipline, there was caring. Dad put me on a workout program. He gave me someone to talk to, a father figure I never had. I have no idea where I’d be without him and Mom. I don’t even want to think about it. And they’ve helped so many kids besides me. “Who knows how any of us would’ve ended up if we hadn’t become Sanduskys.”
Dottie helped and support her husband throughout his 23 year at Penn State and with his work at Second Mile.
After we had taken in some foster children,” Dottie Sandusky told Sports Illustrated in 1982,
“we saw the opportunities that some kids just hadn’t had. But we’d gotten to the point where we couldn’t take in any more, so Jerry started thinking about starting a group home.” Said Dottie Sandusky.
After that we have no idea what happened to Mrs. Sandusky who her husband called Sarge and who helped him at the Second Mile, nor we know what she thinks about her husband’s sexual abuse scandal, I just can imagine she must be devastated, especially after it was reported some of the abuse her husband did on these poor children took place at her basement, It is so sad that while many think of Jerry as a Saint, leader of linebackers, molder of men, for his work at the organization, it was at this same place where he picked his victims. He left the Second Mile last fall. Today he has been arrested and charged with 40 counts related to sexual abuse of young boys.
Have held Paterno in high regard for decades. I am a Bama graduate. An old movie line is brought to mind where after the Chicago White Sox scandal of so many decades ago came to mind: a young boy meets Shoeless Joe Jackson and says to him while thinking of the accusations that he threw the World Series “…Say it ain’t so, Joe{Paterno}.” It is truly sad that more was not done to protect the most vulnerable young innocents in our society. You gotta go, Joe.
Just a crying shame it went on so long! The whole lot of those Penn State guys should not ever be allowed to be employed at an school , ever! The only reason someone could ignore these accusations is that they were molesters themselves!!,
Well, at least you’re not jumping to ridiculous conclusions.
I agree actually.
Who else could turn the other way? Only an abuser.
Not Joe…but take a look into the face of the other two.
Mark my words.
This story is extremely sad for everyone. I feel sad for the children as well as Jerry and Dottie, Paterno and the rest. I hope people will understand that Jerry admits his actions, he has done alot for Penn State and has helped many kids without incident. He has donated thousands of dollars of his own money to many charities that has helped many many poor families. He is deeply sad for what he’s done and wishes he could change it. I ask that you please have a little Christian forgiveness for him. Atleast he didn’t steal Billions of dollars of peoples retirement money, and ruin their lives like Bernie Madoff and his Wife.
Are you serious,he’s sorry,OMG sorry is not gonna cut it,but I know what should be cut off,will not print here.He needs yrs and yrs of therapy unfortunately so do a lot of others out there that take advantage of kids-women included.
You are defending Sandusky?
You must think raping children is no big deal. Stealing retirement money is much less severe than molesting children. His whole purpose in life seems to be to fins vulnerable children to molest.
Colin is Right. Raping Children or Stealing which is worse? In the Bible times you would of been Stoned. God is the Judge and he alows goverments to punish people like him. But here is the Sad part kids do not like to tell. He was probably molested by his father and ect. … It is a family Tradition if you are not alowed to Voice what happened to you or Scream about it. And when you do everyone makes you feel like the bad guy they think it must be ok. Some one must stop this Violence against Children it is not Tickling. It is RAPE of the worst KIND
He’s helped others without incident? He’s donated thousands of dollars to charities? He’s deeply sad for what he’s done? Who the hell are you kidding? As if those things will help the young men scarred by the evil actions of the perverted predator? He’s sick, that’s for sure… but even so, he had to be aware of his sickness and should have sought help before abusing and raping those young boys! I am all about forgiveness but it’s not up to us to forgive him… only his victims and God can do that. It’s not being judgmental… anyone with half a brain knows right from wrong and what this man did was as wrong as it gets!
Forgiveness is one thing, but you need to examine your priorities. It sounds as if you forgive Sandusky for abusing children and ruining their lives while a man who steals money is worse. Money appears to hold a higher place in your esteem than the welfare of innocent children.
So, let me get this straight Elijah, if your son or grandson is raped by someone you trusted to care for him and that he trusts because of it – you’d be sad but you’ll forgive the violations as long as the rapist admits they’ve done wrong and donates to charity? And you believe stealing money is worse than the theft of innocence and a lifetime of emotional problems that go with the theft of that innocence? I seriously hope you are neither a parent or a grand parent, and that you never work with children in any capacity.
Elijah, You think it’s OKAY TO RAPE CHILDREN AS LONG AS YOU DON”T STEAL ANYONE’S MONEY? You are repulsive. Ew.
Elijah you have to be kidding me . Comparing Maddof to this disscusting crime maybe your are a child molester your self . What kind of a person are you comparing the innocence of our children witch is our future society . So you think money comes before our precious children . You should jump off the skyway bridge . Wakooooooo.
So you’re saying an “I’m sorry” and money are enough of undoing such a disgusting crime?
Pretty sure Elijah meant “Joe admits his actions”, not “Jerry”.
molesting a child is not hurting them and the money does not mean anything is you are going to damage a child to the core of their being get a grip Jesus said that if you hurt a little one you should be thrown into the sea with a stone tied around your neck.
Dottie Sandusky needs to be charged as well. As a matter of fact, other than the incredibly cowardly McQueary, I hold her to be most culpable. No way that she didn’t know her husband was a predator of the worst kind. After reading the grand jury report, it’s obvious that he acted brazenly, knowing full well that he could get away with heinous acts against children b/c he had so many times in the past.
It will be interesting to see if any adults come forward who were molested by this animal in the 60′s, 70′s, 80′s. We’ve only heard about the last 15 years but pedophiles don’t just start defiling children as young as 7-8 years of age in their 50′s. No question – there were a million signs over the years and ol’ Dottie chose to look the other way b/c she was married to her way of life and all the comforts and accolades that it afforded to her.
CHARGE DOTTIE SANDUSKY PLEASE!
I so agree with you. I have known 2 pedophiles in my life and they could not have normal sex with a woman–made them physically sick. Hence the adopted children. She had to have wondered about little time with her, lots of time with boys. She called an accuser. It bothers me that Sandusky is out on bail, he can be threatening accusers or abusing more children. Will he just get his hand slapped because he is a first time offender with so much prestige in his illustrious career? Even judges are part of this good old boy network of not understanding how damaging sex crimes are.
I too agree, Mrs. Sandusky had to know. The abuse of these young boys was happening in her basement. I wonder about the children they adopted, were they also abused by this monster? She may have allowed it to happen to these boys so her children were left alone by this monster and she enjoyed the money he was making. I also feel, all the Penn State officials/workers that knew about this abuse and did not report it to the police should be held accountable and jailed. It’s hard to believe that if anyone walked into a shower and saw a young boy being sodomized that you just walk out. Hello, step in and stop the rape, say something to the perpetrator and stop the monster. At 28 can’t believe the man that witnessed the rape wasn’t big enough to stop Sandusky.
It is amazing to me that football is held at such a high esteem that young boys can be sacrificed to protect these coaches and officials. It’s a sport, these players and coaches are not god’s.
You are right I feel sorry for all there adopted kids. People do not always adopt kids for the right reasons. Makes you sick. I wish there was a way to help them. Maybe if Dottie admits to everything she knew healing could begin. It is sad to have no voice to be afraid to tell. And when you do tell everyone looks at you like a liar and a murder.
I say Dottie is more gulity as Jerrry has a demon and dottie allowed it for the paycheck.
Given the evidence in the formal indictment report, it seems highly likely that she was VERY aware of his behavior and simply looked the other way. Considering their lenghty marriage, it was probably an arrangement of some sort between them: If she lets him do ___, she could do ___. It could have been as simple as her not wanting to lose the benefits of being his wife (income, status, etc.) or fear of the damage their family would suffer if he was discovered. It could, of course, be something much more nefarious… maybe he video taped things and she liked watching. Either way, the bottom line is that there is no way she was unaware of this. Highly doubtful their children weren’t victims of sexual abuse by him… or even her. But just as doubtful that they’d have the guts to admit this… especially since they were adopted and gratitude/guilt would be held over their heads. Quite sad.
Perhaps he was beating his wife to keep her silent. That is as plausible as holding her responsible. We have no facts about her, yet.
… except the face that she tried multiple times to contact victim #7 leading up to the grand jury indictment.
*fact
I just read the Grand Jury endictment.. Miss Dottie knew. I was HORRIFIED when I read that she tried to contact Victim 7 several times. She probably obeyed whatever he said.. He must have battered down her self esteem so low after she couldn’t have children… OMG not everything is forgiveable! There are some things that just can’t be forgiven. These poor boys will carry this forever… a life sentence.
Between this guy and the Catholic priests I am sick to my stomach.
a woman who is abused still will stick up for her kids. she may not stick up for her self but she will for her kids
hold dottie accountable
Ped State U.
That is totally unfair and it just goes to show how ignorant you truly are. Penn State is PENN STATE and one man does not define an entire university. Grow up!
Penn State is going to have to live with those comments. My son, age 12 has a Penn State pullover sweatshirt that was a gift- we got rid of it immediately. It may be unfair in your eyes Teresa but many tarnished the University.
Hopefully people are more aware and alert as adults and parents. My radar is on more than ever!
if the unitversity allow this behavior to go on they should be held accountable. Acountability is the answer.
And now his precious money,should all be taking away,used to set up a counsleing place for all the molested kids in the world ,who wish to attend.
It’s so sad to read ,how money is the root of all evil in this case?Seems no respect,nor care,for poor innocent kids with this money? Money could not ,nor would EVER buy my child to be subject to such treatment,If I had to be homeless!Thank god my respect runs far beyond money!
Did you hear that he is using the Second Mile Insurance money for his defense? At this point anybody helping this guy is sick… I wish I never read the report. I am ill inside and everyone involved are strangers to me.. IMAGINE how the victims and their families feel or anyone associated with this for that matter.. I am SURE there ARE MANY MORE VICTIMS..
Let me be the one to say what everyone knows is true: The world of sports is FULL of this kind of stuff. Everyone reading this had at least one gym teacher who picked the job so he could have access to boys everyone knew it.
Hard fact but true: There are only two kinds of men who build their lives around hanging out with boys or adolescents in a physical context like sports or scouting: saints and pedos. And the world has a lot more pedos than saints……
duh
Man…don’t accuse the woman until you get her side of the story. She had friends who may have heard things she said that hinted to her past. A lawyer went missing in this case in 2005, before Sandusky was prosecuted, so doesn’t that tell you the extent this organization would go to suppress the truth? We don’t need speculation at this point but we need evidence. I feel horribly sorry for this woman…maybe she knew and maybe she didn’t.
One would think that Dottie Sandusky did know about about her husband’s perversions. But do not under estimate the sexual predator. They can molest in public – a word, a look, touch under the table. The poor kid is led to believe that everyone is okay with what the predator is doing. His wife probably had suspicions. I would hope that each of his adopted children are interviewed. Having said all that, she probably knew and did nothing. Sandusky’s defense attorney is already discrediting the children. What a cover up at Penn State. shameful.
shut down penn state
In reading all this it brings back memories of my sexual abuse when I was in the 4th grade. Needless to say, 4th grade was not a good year for me. I was sexually abused by my school teacher and my neighbor.
I was told it was my fault. From studies and what has been told to me by mental health officals, the origination of this behavior is from a controlling/powerful/verballing abusive mother. My 4th grade teacher who is now serving a life sentence in a federal prison lived his entire life with a controlling abusive mother. This abuse that he inflicted on me and others was a result of gaining a power position over someone vulnerable that would not question authority…unlike what he experienced in his home life. There is no excuse for what has happened. This was just explained to me on the reason. In addition, I was informed that those folks around this teacher and the neighbor all had suspicions and observed abnormal behaviors but did not come forward because they did not want to ‘get involved’. Very sad. God Bless all the victims.
I can only pray that people who witness any act of abuse of any kind whether it be on children or adults or animals, please…please…..speak up and take action.
Blaming mothers for causing just about every psychiatric disorder in the DSM was very popular for a while. However, these opinions were based on misogyny, not responsible research or actual facts.
The cause of pedophilia is not know, but research has linked it to brain structure and function, with some indication (not validated) that there is a genetic component.
Please, This kind if thing makes me physically ill. The man molested boys because he has something genetically wrong with him? No one is ever responsible for what they do. It is always something or someone else. I am fat because of McDonalds. I shot someone because of the gun manufacturers. I molest boys because I have a gentic predisposition.
People make choices!!! He is responsible for his choices!!!!! He doesn’t need therapy and consoling. He needs to be thrown in prison as fresh meat.
cause does not excuse behavior
Lesson we all should learn: never turn your back on an issue or expect someone else to take care of it.
people tend to not want to get involved. When he was caught in the shower porking a possibly ten year old boy, he should have been arrested then and there! How could a 28 year old man just call his daddy for advise on what to do after seeing that?!?! WTF! He should not be on leave with pay. He should be arrested too for failing to report child abuse to CPS or Police.
why did he not say something as he witnessed it was he too engrossed in the moment?
We don’t even know where she is, do we? Did she leave him back in 1999 after the assault in Texas at the Alamo Bowl?
I’m willing to bet that Sandusky was also the victim of abuse at the hands of his father after reading this:
Sandusky was an only child, raised in one of the most respected families in the town of Washington, a picturesque community of about 13,000 that is within a half-hour’s drive of Pittsburgh. Art and Evie Sandusky taught their son to work hard. They often worked two jobs apiece, and they lived in a tiny apartment above the Brownson House, a recreation center that kept kids off the streets and engaged in sports. Art was Brownson House’s director, an athletic man who stood about 5-foot-10 and always took time to listen to any problem; Evie worked the concession stands, coached the cheerleaders and put together plays for the children.
Even his own dad had set himself up in an IDEAL spot to find and groom his victims. Someone probably knew then but wouldn’t talk.
Like father, like son.
50% of sex predators were abused as children. This sounds exactly like an epi of Criminal Minds and it was the director of the youth center who’d been abusing boys for decades.
And JS has five adopted sons, several of whom are involved in sports with kids. Is this pattern continuing through yet another generation? Scary, huh? This could snowball way more than any one suspects right now.
Cady, you are so correct with your comments. I totally agree that Sandusky was more than likely abused himself as a child but this does not make the issues at present/previous even more horrific. Paterno kicked this up the ladder and should have followed up but if his head rolls, they all should roll. Interesting that there was large playground at back of Sandusky home as well as school in the near distance. Seems Sandusky’s children all have done well, my first thought was wondering if the adopted sons had also been abused. Feel so sad for the abused ones; I hope there will be an element of healing for them eventually.
It’s interesting to me that the Sandusky family is not being hounded by the press. Everyone’s camped out at the Paternos’ home. And if anyone was a flight risk, certainly Sandusky is. When and if he is convicted, he will die in jail, I think he’s 67 now…I can’t believe he got bail. Where IS he? Where is his wife, where are his kids and how come no one is camped at their home or shoving microphones into their faces instead of everyone else’s. Just find it odd. I’m glad the bulk of the student population has calmed down now. So they lost today, so what? After all the events of this week, I think they did an outstanding job. It was very moving, the start of the game, the spirit of the people in the stands. Penn State will survive all this. It is a great school.
We have probably only seen the tip of the iceberg with this sad and repulsive story. The Catholic Church child abuse scandal was a slow drip as more and more adult men came out with accusations of having been abused as children at the hands of priests. Although not on the same scale, the Penn State abuse revelations are no less egregious and disgusting.
Whatever Mrs. Sandusky knows about the activities of her husband over a period probably thirty or forty years, she will undoubtedly take to her grave. If she was aware of what her husband was doing to these children, then she, too, was an enabler, just as the the entire coaching staff and administrations of both the university and the foundation he founded. I have no doubt that she will continue to “stand by her man,” just as a whole host of wives of elected officials have done, who have stood beside their pedophiles, women abusers and philanders, as they issued their insincere apologies or denials to the world. The list is endless – Wendy Vitter; wife of US Senator David Vitter, who likes prostitutes; Suzanne Craig, wife of former US Senator Larry Craig, who liked trolling for men in the men’s room; Silda Spitzer, wife of former NY Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who also liked a night out with his “escort”; Huma Abedin Weiner, wife of US Congressman Anthony Weiner, who bared his soul and other parts to Blackberry acquaintances.
And let’s not forget the latest supportive wife, Gloria Cain, wife of Herman Cain who still thinks he has the credibility to be President of the United States, even after four women have stepped forward and accused him of sexual harassment. Mrs. Cain, it is now being reported, will sit down this week with Greta Van Sustern on Fox News and, no doubt, will vow to the world that her husband is the epitome of loyalty and all those women made those stories up.
The only one who had the integrity and backbone to “throw the bum out” was Jenny Sanford, wife of former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who took her sons and moved out of the Governor’s Mansion within days of his love-sick press conference, which described in graphic detail his love affair with his Argentinian mistress.
If Mrs. Sandusky knows or has any inkling about what was going on between her husband and the foundation’s innocent children, and she had a conscience, she would have done something about it years ago. If she does know, it is not likely that she is going to develop a conscience at this this late date. Instead, we will see her weeping in the court room as the trials proceed, and as the verdict is read and he is sentenced to a potential 400 years in prison, her six adopted children gathered around her, five of whom could conceivably be victims as well. It will be an abhorrent scene, to say the least.
I’m so disgusted wth this staff and every adult who witnessed or had knowledge. I just read the grand jury indictment and am sickened by each word that spilled out in fornt of me. Shame on every adult who had knowledge and turned away because they didn’t want to lose their job or whom they call friend. We tell children to tell and we’ll protect them. Why should they ever speak out when at least 2 adults can WITNESS Sandusky sodomize and perform oral sex on 2 seperate children and no one ran in to knock him on his butt. HELLO??? Then you have all the fondling and “back cracking”as well as wrestling he performed on 8 different boys that we know of. How many have yet to step forward or will forever live in their silence because he wanted to get off! May God forgive them for shattering the innocence of these children. My heart goes out to each one, however many there may be and may God give you courage to be brave to those who have stepped forward should you happen to read this.
money is king in america and Penn state
Perhaps she allowed him to be with the children to keep him away from her? Ever think about that? Lesbian perhaps? The six adopted kids just strilkes me as odd. Unless either or both were sterile, there would have been at LEAST one child between the two of them. That little fact alone is telling. And his living over that gym tells me that the abuse started with him during that time as well. These waters run DEEP,
Why Penn State Owes Sandusky’s Victims, a must hear podcast…many revelations on this show…
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/centerstage/2011/11/19/why-penn-state-owes-sanduskys-victims
There is such a huge cost to a scandal like this that goes way beyond the time when it’s “settled.” My son was a student at a private school where massive abuse had taken place decades before. We were assured, accurately, that many safeguards were in place to prevent anything similar from recurring. But those safeguards, such as the rule that no child could be alone with an adult, that no child could be alone in a dorm room, made it so that a child could be bullied by other boys and have no privacy to tell an adult. As a day student, he had to bunk in another boy’s room when staying over. He was punched, called names, and never had the chance to privately tell an adult. He had to room with kids who didn’t want a third boy in their room. Adults were not present at many times when it would be just my son and another boy, a bully who’d taunt, push, and shove him.
Someone commented that adults are either pedophiles or saints around kids…but some adults are just decent, mature people who have the interest and patience to listen to a kid and his problems. We now protect our kids by strictly limiting (for good reason) a lot of one-to-one contact with adults, but that also prevents them from developing healthy one-to-one relationships with caring adults who are not their parents nor their teachers nor their friends’ parents. Just decent, good people in the community… Kids live far from grandparents, small-town shopkeepers have been replaced by big-box stores. The pedophiles spoil it for the whole community, for the kids who truly need, if not a village, then a few village elders to learn from. Older people benefit from friendships with kids who can help them out in small but meaningful ways. Pedophiles and what we must do to protect our kids from them force us to forfeit all adult-child relationships that are not family- or school-related, and even the latter is carefully restricted…We live in a country full of fatherless kids who would so benefit from caring mentors; research shows that a child at risk can be resilient if they have even but one caring adult in their lives. But pedophiles have stolen that opportunity from generations of children, who we now (hopefully) protect…but at a cost.
No It is Not tru that in order for a person NOT to DO something that they too must be molesters themselves. I have tried to ask people to protect my helpless baby with what I believe is a father that is caapable of anything and do you know what people say ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here it goes (this eeven from mother of girls my child’s young age !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
I DONT WANT TO GET INVOLVED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yES, THAT IS THE TRUTH pEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED even to help a child!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
aND YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE tHE DAMN LAWS PROTECT bastard criminals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! tHAT IS the liberal america FOR YOU. tHE COURTS TAKE FOREVER THINGS GET WORSE AND YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE WITH DESTRUCTION IN FAMILIES KIDS DO not HAVE security…………..wE AS usa CITIZENS GRAVITATE TO things !!!!!!!! NOT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND SHARING HENCE CHILDREN DO GAIN MORE IN THEIR PARENTAL RELATIONSHIP AND NOT IN GADGETS !!!!!!!!!
pEOPLE DO not WANT TO GET INVOLVED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! tHAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM. EVIL IS ALL AROUND US AND UNTIL WE ARE AWARE OF THAT!!!!1 FACT!!!!!!!!1 THINGS WILL NEVER CHANGE ……..PRAY THAT SAMDUSKY’S LAWYER FAILS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As far as I am concerned, Dottie Sandusky is an old Lesbian. For sure !