The Penn State trustees met tonight and fired Joe Paterno. University president Graham Spanier chose to resign today when faced with potential dismissal.

It’s a stunning development given Paterno’s power at Penn State, but it seems like the only possible choice that the trustees could make. The staggering abdication of responsibility at Penn State in light of the allegations against Jerry Sandusky had to be dealt with. It might even be worse, as the bizarre silence by Penn State officials in 2002 and during subsequent years raises all sorts of questions about that motivated these men to avoid bringing in the police.

It’s the right decision. Letting Paterno coach on Saturday with the pageantry of a college football game in light of the pain suffered by children as a result of his silence seemed like a gross injustice.