Jerry Sandusky founded The Second Mile in 1977. The charity probably issued some form of an annual report from the start. But the ones I managed to find online date from 2005-2010, which are very important years in both Sandusky and the charity's existence. By 2005, Sandusky had already been investigated at least twice for sexual misconduct, which was no secret to bigwigs at Penn State. Tragically, it was no secret to officials at The Second Mile either. From The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
That, however, was at least the third time in 10 years that the organization had been made aware of allegations involving Mr. Sandusky's contacts with children. The organization knew in 1998 that Mr. Sandusky was investigated for alleged sexual misconduct in a Penn State shower involving a different boy from the program, according to a presentment by a statewide investigating grand jury.
State College attorney Wendell V. Courtney was apprised of the investigation in 1998 because he was then counsel for Penn State and for The Second Mile. He has not responded to interview requests. That investigation, by university police, was closed when the Centre County district attorney's office decided not to file charges.
The Second Mile learned of another investigation involving Mr. Sandusky in 2002. In its statement, the agency said its chief executive officer, Jack Raykovitz, testified at the investigating grand jury that he had been told by Mr. Curley that an internal Penn State investigation had found no corroboration for an allegation of inappropriate contact by Mr. Sandusky with a youth in a university locker room shower.
The questions about what exactly The Second Mile knew about Sandusky's behavior and why people there didn't act on that knowledge sooner will, hopefully, be answered as the charity gets the bejeezus subpoenaed out of it. For now, we can glean some insight from the founder's messages that Sandusky penned for the charity's annual reports. And what we can glean is that not only did The Second Mile officials refuse to trammel Sandusky's behavior for years, they refused to even take away his soapbox.
From Sandusky's message in The Second Mile Annual Report 2005:
This year, I've spent a lot of my time doing two things—working with adults who care about Second Mile children to raise funds for our programs and working with the children who then benefit from those programs! Both types of experiences have made this a memorable year. …
For the kids are what it's all about. I wish each of you could have the same opportunity that I have to meet with Second Mile kids and see the real difference you're making.
From Sandusky's message in The Second Mile Annual Report 2006:
When children who have been disappointed by adults many times in the past come to count on us, we feel a responsibility to keep our promises. But we can maintain our commitment to children, and reach out to others still in need, only if we have the funds to provide programming and the facilities in which to do so. In that regard, I believe we've reached a critical juncture for Pennsylvania's kids and for The Second Mile.
From Sandusky's message in The Second Mile Annual Report 2007:
This lack of dedicated space also hampers our ability to train volunteers and professionals so that they can make our programs available to even more children across Pennsylvania. ...
That's why we are committed to building The Second Mile's Center for Excellence-the physical facilities necessary to maintain our current commitments to children and to enhance and expand the programs of The Second Mile long after I'm gone. Like you, I want to make certain that the opportunities that we are providing children today will be available tomorrow.
From Sandusky's message in The Second Mile Annual Report 2008:
The Center for Excellence will provide a place for play and for learning. These outside spaces will be used for playing large group games, providing breakaway areas for small groups, facilitating initiatives, and best of all, they will help in the promotion of an atmosphere where a kid can simply be a kid. …
When I founded The Second Mile, I envisioned an organization that would always keep its promise to children, and I believe that, through The Center for Excellence, we always will.
Beginning in 2009, The Second Mile removed the founder's message from its annual report and replaced it with a "thank you" from one of the young people served by the charity. This was the year, of course, that The Second Mile administrators finally decided that it might be a bad idea for Sandusky to pal around with young boys.