Penn State University has unveiled a new exhibit dedicated to the career of Joe Paterno, the long-time head football coach. The exhibit focuses on his athletic accomplishments and tenure at the university, but it has drawn significant criticism for failing to mention the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal, which ultimately led to Paterno’s firing in 2011.

Commentators, including Jonathan Zimmerman, have argued that the exhibit serves to 'whitewash' Paterno’s legacy by ignoring the scandal. The core of the disagreement centers on how an institution should memorialize a figure whose career ended under such severe controversy. Some argue that omitting the scandal creates a false narrative that ignores the institutional failures that occurred under Paterno’s watch. Conversely, others suggest that the university is attempting to preserve the memory of his contributions to the sport without reopening the trauma of the scandal.

There is no consensus on how to handle the legacy of public figures associated with systemic failures. While the exhibit highlights the coach's impact on college football, the lack of context regarding the Sandusky case has led to accusations that the university is attempting to sanitize history. The debate remains polarized between those who believe the scandal is inseparable from his legacy and those who argue that his athletic achievements deserve a distinct space in the university's history.