In an email to USA Today last week, Penn State President Spanier described the penalties for violating the school's antidiscrimination policy: "There is no fixed set of penalties. We are an educational institution, so we tend to lean toward education, training, and counseling. But stronger sanctions are sometimes used."

But are these sanctions meaningful? NCLR's Karen Doering scoffs at the notion of putting Rene Portland through more diversity training.

"She underwent diversity training in 1991 with no effect," Doering said. "Her very statement of denials today clearly shows she does not get it. If she doesn't think she has done anything wrong, she's not going to change her behavior."

In a (surprising) KR-syndicated column, Walt Moody says that the sanctions have no real bite. Walt says that Rene, in her response, is essentially giving Spanier the finger.