A scathing report accusing Penn State coach Joe Paterno and other top university officials of hiding what they knew about Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse of children is another crippling blow to a school and football program already reeling from one of the worst scandals in sports history.
Former FBI Director Louis Freeh's report on the Sandusky scandal charges that Paterno and other Penn State officials buried the allegations and allowed Sandusky to prey on boys for years.
Despite the report's revelations, public relations professionals and industry observers say its release was a necessary step as the university tries to regain public trust.
In the wake of Freeh's report, Penn State's trustees said they accept full responsibility for their failures in oversight.
"Our hearts remain heavy and we are deeply ashamed," Trustee Ken Frazier said in a statement.
What further steps can Penn State take to repair its tarnished image? Here are some ideas from crisis management experts, image consultants and other observers:
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LET THE HEALING BEGIN â€""As painful as this was â€"and it was a body blow of mass proportionsâ€" it was probably the best thing they could do," says Peter Shankman, a vice president at the public relations firm Vocus Inc. "By issuing the report they're doing what they haven't in 15 years. People can't start to heal until they start doing the right thing."
AP
This is the statue of former Penn State University head football coach Joe Paterno that stands outside Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa., Friday, July 13, 2012. After an eight-month inquiry, Former FBI director Louis Freeh's firm produced a 267-page report that concluded that Paterno and other top Penn State officials hushed up child sex abuse allegations against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky for more than a decade for fear of bad publicity, allowing Sandusky to prey on other youngsters. The revelations contained in the report have stirred a debate over whether the statue should remain. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Close Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who left office in 2011, believes Penn State should emphasize the changes it is making to ensure that such a crime never happens again.
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APOLOGIZE AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY â€" "Penn State needs to take responsibility, apologize, be honest and show compassion," says Elizabeth Lampert, who runs her own PR firm in Alamo, Calif. "With those herculean tasks accomplished, they can begin to rebuild, but this scandal will never be 'behind' them."
Stan Steinreich, CEO of Steinreich Communications Group in Fort Lee, N.J., says that in situations like this, it's important to tell the truth, which is what Penn State officials should have done instead of initially attempting a cover-up.
"This will be studied for a long time by those in the industry as one of the worst PR catastrophes of all time, in terms of spiraling out of control," Steinreich says. "I think that there is always a time where a corporation or an individual has to stand up and take the fire. Continuing to circle the wagons like Penn State (did) doesn't help."
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TAKE CHARGE â€" Mark Conrad, a law and ethics professor at Fordham University in New York, says university officials need to formulate a plan that sets forth sweeping changes, including stronger controls over the university's athletic programs, especially football.
And in order to restore trust, a better system needs to be created for reporting violations, Conrad believes.
"The trustees have to be more involved and more aware," says Conrad, who specializes in sports law. "The report pointed out that they weren't always. And they're ultimately the people in charge of the university."
Don Tanner, a partner with Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Tanner Friedman Strategic Communications, criticizes the university for being slow to respond since the scandal first surfaced last year.
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