Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Penn State Asst. Coach McQueary, Witness To Child Rape, Placed On Paid Leave
By
Garth Johnston
Published Nov 11, 2011
Modified Nov 11, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Garth Johnston
Published Nov 11, 2011
Modified Nov 11, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Penn State receivers coach Mike McQueary—a key witness in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal who reportedly witnessed him raping a 10-year-old boy in the Penn State showers in 2002—has been put on paid administrative leave. Penn State's new president Rodney Erickson made the announcement at a press conference today. He says the decision was made by the Penn State athletic department.
Much has been made of McQueary, who has been receiving death threats since the scandal broke and will not be at tomorrow's game against Nebraska. While Coach Joe Paterno and University President Graham Spanier have been fired because of the mess, McQueary (who did nothing when he saw Sandusky in the showers until his father told him to talk to Joe Paterno the next day) has remained employed. There was some speculation that his job was saved because of his status as a whistleblower—he is a major witness in the case—and that appears to be partially the case.
Asked if McQueary, who could be called as a witness if Sandusky goes to trial, was protected by whistleblower status, trustee Boyd Wolff (a non-voting member of the board) told reporters, "He’s a witness. He’s different from the others, so he has to be treated differently."
Meanwhile, the Penn State Board of Trustees has formed a committee to study the growing scandal. Better late than never?
Tagged
administrative leave
jerry sandusky
joe paterno
mike mcqueary
penn state
penn state scandal
Garth Johnston
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .