Image from NPR

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last week, you’ve probably heard about the Penn State sex abuse scandal.

But just in case you haven’t, you can check out this HuffPost timeline, this update from the NYT, and this statement from President Obama.

But just in case you don’t have time to click through all these links, here’s how we at USDemocrazy understand it:

In the 1990s, assistant Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky was sexually abusing young boys that he was working with through a non-profit organization called The Second Mile.

On one occasion, a graduate assistant walked in on Sandusky assaulting a young boy.  He reported the incident to Joe Paterno, long-time, highly respected and lauded Penn State football coach.  Paterno then reported a version of the account to his higher-up who reported it to his higher-up.  But Paterno (or anyone else) never reported the incident to the police or child protective services.  And Sandusky was left free to continue abusing other students.

The news came out when a grand jury report was released last weekend, Sandusky was arrested, and Paterno and the Penn State President were fired.  And that’s left a whole lot of Penn State students all fired up.

On Wednesday night, Penn State students started rioting to show their disapproval of Paterno’s firing.  Cars were flipped.  Pepper was sprayed.  Rocks were thrown.  Eventually the crowd was dispersed.

But rioting to protest the dismissal of Paterno hasn’t gone over well in the press outside of State College, who are more immune to the Nittany Lion fever.

But some students are speaking out against sexual abuse and the bystander effect.  A few did so during the riots.  And even more are planning a “blue out” for the next Penn State football came to raise money and awareness for sexual abuse victims.

What do you think of the student response to the Penn State scandal?  Would you be rioting?  Or protesting the riots?