Penn State University has been in full-fledged crisis management mode this week. On Wednesday, football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier were both removed from their positions. It was an attempt to answer criticism that the university and football program did not do enough to stop assistant coach Jerry Sandusky from sexually abusing young boys on camps over a span of 15 years. Penn State’s legendary success on the football field has long been a tremendous part of the school’s identity. But now, university leaders are struggling to keep control of their sterling reputation in light of heinous allegations. Former State Department spokesperson P.J. Crowley is an expert message-shaper. He’s now part of the Penn State community as Omar Bradley chair in strategic leadership at Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law.
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