Penn State is reeling from a sex-abuse scandal that led to football coach Joe Paterno and school president Graham Spanier being fired on Wednesday.

Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley will serve as interim coach while Rodney Erickson will be the interim school president.  Students held a protest rally after Paterno was fired.

Paterno said in a statement that he was “absolutely devastated” by the abuse case, in which his former assistant Jerry Sandusky is charged with molesting eight boys over 15 years, with some of the alleged assaults taking place at the Penn State football complex.

“This is a tragedy,” Paterno said. “It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”

Paterno has come under harsh criticism for not taking more action in 2002 after then-graduate assistant and current assistant coach Mike McQueary told him he saw Sandusky in the Penn State showers with a young boy. Paterno notified the athletic director, Tim Curley, and a vice president, Gary Schultz.

Although Paterno is not a target of the criminal investigation, Curley and Schultz have been charged with failing to report the incident to the authorities.

The scandal forces the question: how can parents trust their kids’ coaches?

Parents should always be aware of what’s happening in their child’s environment.   In youth sports leagues, there should be protocols for example, requiring multiple adults to be present at practices and games.

Parents should also remind children of inappropriate behaviour and also teach them what to do if they are ever harassed.