Crisis Management in Law Enforcement

Crisis Management in Law Enforcement

Consider the impact of the Sandusky scandal on Penn State. What were organizational functions (management, marketing, human resources, etc.) affected by the crisis? How were they affected?

The infamous Penn State Scandal involved Jerry Sandusky, an assistant coach who was found guilty on 45 counts of sexual abuse of 10 boys. Sandusky misbehaved with the boys, and his subsequent arrest and conviction shocked many, including the college athletics fraternity.

From the investigations, it is clear that the university’s management was severely affected as its image was dragged through sewage. The case opened investigations into how much the university administrators and former head coach knew about Sandusky’s criminal behavior and whether they covered it up, albeit knowingly. The findings of the investigations were showed the irresponsible nature of administration. Victims had occasionally reported their sexual harassment, however, the Penn State leaders showed total and consistent disregard for the victims who reported these cases. They had covered up the sexual assaults committed by Sandusky as early as 1998 (Penn State Scandal). Notable name including Joe Paterno, a revered head coach, Graham Spanier, president, Gary Schultz, Vice president, and Tim Curly, the athletic director. A separate lawsuit against the university, it is reported that Joe Paterno knew about the assaults as early as 1976.

In terms of financial compensation, the university spent more than $109 million as compensation to the predator’s victims. That was by January 2018. Additionally, Spanier, Schultz, and Curley were subjected to varied terms of imprisonment, fines, and probations. Besides management problems, Penn State has lost its glory as the idyllic college it used to be a while back. Moreover, the university lost some advertising revenue from big companies like Chevrolet and General Motors.

Who are the internal and external stakeholders at Penn State? How were the stakeholders affected?

Any group that has a stake in the affairs of the organization is regarded as a stakeholder. Internal stakeholders are entities within a business, whereas the external stakeholders are those who are affected by the performance of the business. They do not necessarily engage in day-to-day activities of the organization. In the Penn State Scandal, various stakeholders were affected. The internal stakeholders, including key managers were affected in numerous ways. The chief sexual predator, Sandusky, was profoundly affected by the investigations (Burton, 2019). He was found guilty of child sexual abuse and sentenced to 30-60 years in prison. Additionally, other administrators such as Tim Curly, Gary Schultz, and Graham Spanier were subjected to different types of fines, imprisonment, and probations.

Although he died of lung cancer before the trials began, Joe Paterno’s reputation was severely damaged. Arguably the most victorious coach in the history of NCAA football, Paterno was adored and revered by many. However, investigations leaked his dark side. He had prior knowledge of the sexual abuse, as early as 1976, but he never took any substantive action to stop the abuser. Moreover, his statue was removed from the institution, and his commemoration continues despite numerous complaints from students who believe he should not be accorded respect.

Additionally, the university suffered significant setbacks in the aftermath of the scandal. The state’s auditor general, for example, called for major reforms in the institution’s governance. In August 2012, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education ordered the institution to undergo a review on compliance failure to which the school would lose its accreditation.  It is also reported that the institution lost several advertising deals with companies such as Chevrolet and General Motors, cutting off its revenue streams.

Imagine you are a crisis management consultant called in to advise Penn State’s Board of Trustees after the scandal began. What steps would you recommend to contain the damage to long-term the university’s overall image and reputation? What factors should you consider and why? Please explain your reasoning regarding your recommendation.

Every organization is susceptible to crises. Gone are the days when organizations could play ostrich by burying their heads in the sand with anticipation of the problem going away. This is because crises can strike hard and damage an institution. Navigating through unexpected crises requires proper crisis management strategies. As a crisis management consultant tasked with containing the damage and maintaining the image of the university following the investigation of the scandal, there are several factors and steps I will take to save the dwindling fortunes of the university.

The first step would be to anticipate and make preparation. This involves assembling a crisis response team. In the response team, it is imperative to include both internal and external stakeholders (Gottlieb, 2019). The internal stakeholders should consist of senior management, general counsel, and other senior staff. These groups will ensure consistency of the university’s messaging across the organization and potential audience takes it into consideration. Moreover, it is crucial to consider assistance from external stakeholders. In this case, public relations consultants will be needed to help communicate with external stakeholders of the university.

Secondly, I will decide whether to make a public statement by determining what to say and when to make the statements (Gottlieb, 2019). Moreover, this consideration includes both legal and practical concerns. How the crisis arose, the status of the investigation, and the legal consequences of the company. Finally, it is vital to craft a public message. I will put into perspective that the delivered messages are consistent, focus on past and present policies, and explicit in given circumstances. At the same time, not making contradicting statements and placing blames on people. Communication is crucial because it will help control the potential damage caused by the investigations.

References

Gottlieb, C. (2019). Public Relations Considerations when Managing a Crisis.  Clearly Enforcement Watch. Retrieved from https://www.clearyenforcementwatch.com/2019/09/public-relations-considerations-when-managing-a-crisis/

Penn State Scandal. Ethics Unwrapped. Retrieved from https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/video/penn-state-scandal

Burton, R. (2019). Penn State Scandal: A Lesson in Crisis Management. Bleacher Report. Retrieved from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/938602-penn-state-scandal-a-lesson-in-crisis-management