Before Penn State Enabled a Child Molester the Red Sox Did
In a sick story that may be even worse than what went down at Penn State, it turns out that the Boston Red Sox enabled their own Jerry Sandusky child predator for 20 years. His name was Donald Fitzpatrick and he was the clubhouse manager. Same situation where people (including at least one Red Sox player) reported the despicable predator to higher ups in the organization, and they did nothing. And no one had the morals, ethics, or decency to save young boys by contacting the police.
Not only has a serial child molester infiltrated sports before, he did so with one of baseball's most storied franchises. Should the allegations against Sandusky prove true, the two cases are strikingly similar. Both men seduced their victims with the lure of big-time athletics. Both bribed them with equipment and other swag. Both enjoyed watching boys shower. Both fondled their victims and engaged in oral sex. Both committed crimes in plain view and, despite getting caught, were swaddled by a power structure that buried the truth to protect those highest up in the organization. Both used threats and mind games to silence their prey for decades. And both ended up being exposed as predators far too late, after they had laid waste to innocent lives.
Never mind that the negligence dated back to 1971. One victim, according to a complaint filed by his lawyer two decades later, told Red Sox home clubhouse manager Vince Orlando that Fitzpatrick had abused him for the previous three seasons. Orlando fired the boy. Two sources, who asked not to be identified, said a Red Sox player caught Fitzpatrick sodomizing a boy in the shower, much like then-Penn State graduate assistant Mike McQueary did Sandusky. The player reported the incident to the team but not police. Fitzpatrick kept his job anyway.
And so the monster who tormented boys as young as 4 continued to parade them to his locations of choice: the private room at Chain of Lakes, the Holiday Inn, his Boston-area condo, even Fenway.
Even as Fitzpatrick grew older and his tendencies to gravitate toward young boys became apparent, Yawkey protected him, according to two sources with knowledge of their relationship.
Players for years had told young boys -- especially African-Americans -- to stay away from Fitzpatrick. Higher-ups in the organization tried to isolate him from any possible social setting. Jean Yawkey just wouldn't fire him.
You can read a lot more on Yahoo! and SoSH also has more on the story. The years of abuse did a number on many of the victims and they've suffered for years including in mental institutions and prisons. It should be noted that Fitzpatrick accepted a plea deal and received no jail time. "Because I'm guilty," Fitzpatrick infamously proclaimed. The current Red Sox owners settled with the victims in 2003. Fitzpatrick died in 2005 and hopefully is currently rotting in Hell.If anything can come of these stories, it is that hopefully starting today anyone that sees or hears or has seen or heard of abuse going down, immediately calls the police (and then checks back with the police to make sure something has been done). Simply telling your superior does nothing. They just sweep it under the rug. Call the police yourself. Please.
