Mike McQueary Placed On Administrative Leave

Penn State wide receivers coach Mike McQueary has been placed on administrative leave, new interim president Rodney Erickson announced Friday. Erickson would not comment, specifically, on what provoked the administration’s decision, saying only that it had become clear that McQueary was unable to serve in a coaching capacity.

McQueary was identified as the graduate assistant who saw former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky molest a 10-year-old boy in the Penn State locker rooms in 2002. He has earned the ire of fans and media for not contacting the police immediately following the incident, instead passing the information to head coach Joe Paterno, who in turn passed the information up to athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz. Paterno, Curley and Schultz, along with university president Graham Spanier, are no longer with university due to their inaction.

McQueary’s leave reportedly will be paid. It was announced Thursday that McQueary has received multiple threats and would not be on the sideline for Saturday’s game against Nebraska.

As for McQueary’s overall job security, Penn State can’t afford to rush into any decisions. As Sara Ganim, crime reporter for the Harrisburg Patriot-Times, pointed out on Twitter, there are whistle-blower laws that Penn State must consider.

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