[Updated at 4:18 p.m. ET] Mike McQueary - the Penn State coach who told head coach Joe Paterno about a child sex abuse allegation involving a former coach in 2002 - has been placed on administrative leave, interim school President Rodney Ericson said Friday.
The leave is "indefinite," Ericson said.
McQueary, who coaches the team's wide receivers, was a 28-year-old graduate assistant when he told Paterno of the allegation in 2002.
The scandal revolves around Jerry Sandusky, the football team's former defensive coordinator who is accused of sexually assaulting children. The scandal has led to the departure of four top university figures, including Paterno, amid widespread outrage over their perceived failure to contact police.
[Updated at 12:19 p.m. ET] Officials on Friday picked the leaders of a special Penn State University panel to investigate allegations that a former assistant football coach sexually abused children.
Kenneth Frazier, a Penn State trustee, will chair the university's special committee looking into the child sex abuse allegations. Frazier told the board of trustees on Friday that the inquiry will be "rigorous, objective and impartial."
State Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis will be the vice chairman and other committee members will be determined later, it was announced at a board meeting.
[Initial post, 10:16 a.m. ET] The interim president of Penn State University said Friday the board of trustees will vote on a proposal "to form a special committee to undertake a full and complete investigation of the circumstances that gave rise to the grand jury report" into child sex abuse allegations against former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky.
Rodney Erickson said it has been "truly difficult to comprehend the terrible nature of the allegations" of child sex abuse. He told the board of trustees his "heart aches" for the victims of the abuse.
Penn State Panel!?!?! Forget that! The police need to investigate and prosecute ALL those involved...if there was a coverup. This is NOT something that needs to be left to a group of untrained University-Connected people. This is a matter for a special prosecutor/investigator. Period!!!
I agree. There's no way to control for bias. Already so muh was covered up by the University, how can they be trusted to handle an internal investigation? The state or better yet, the federal government needs to get involved, people on the outside to flush out this disgusting system.
"special Penn State University panel " Pleeezzzzzzeeeee. I don't think any Pennsylvania agency, police or otherwise should be leading any investigations. BRING IN THE FBI! That is, if you can get them to stop arresting raw milk producers and guitar manufactirers!!
Hes probably at home cying now....the punk!
He is a punk a$$ B$&CH
That's the way to encourage people to report child molestation!
Nail the one guy who did report it.
I don't believe for one second that nobody else saw or knew about Sandusky. Not for one second.
Takeaway message from this? KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! SEE NOTHING, HEAR NOTHING, SAY NOTHING.
Because if you do, you will be destroyed.
He didn't report it – he called his daddy. Nobody called the police. The guy gets no credit because he didn't stop it. None – he should be charged as an accessory and maybe the next person who walks in on something like that won't just walk away.
He reported it, but not to the cops like anyone with a brain would have done. Telling a colleague and then forgetting about it is outrageous. Oh by the way, why didn't he stop the old pervert from anally raping the child when he saw it!?!? Stop crying for this pathetic piece of crap.
If you actually do not believe anyone else did not see this you did not read the report from the investigation that was released.
Canning Joe Pa, et al. was totally correct. He led a cover up. But canning the guy who could have just pretended nothing happened instead of reporting it? There goes any hope of anybody ever admitting they saw a crime occur. I guess it's better just to pretend you didn't see anything.
Don't be naive. McQueary's story isn't the only information here. His testimony is his only redeeming factor.
He didn't report it! He didn't STOP it! It's so disgusting that he was witness to this act and didn't, at the very least, stop it. I am so angry at the lack of responsibility associated with sports on all levels, professional and collegiate. He's a pig and being fired would be too good for all of them.
Ellen you are nuts! Thats NOT the message. The message is – IF HE HAD CALLED THE POLICE AND EVERYONE HAD FOLLOWED UP – THIS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING NOW. HE DID NOT ACCURATELY REPORT IT.
DO NOT KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. All of this crap could of been avoided is someone stood up for the innocent and "Did the little thing right" As JoePA liked to say.
Your an idiot.
You're a tool. I hope when you are getting rammed in the shower all those that see it just walk away and do nothing.
Why didn't this idiot stop it? He could have saved that child and he went home leaving that child there. Administrative leave – fire the clown. He shouldn't be teaching a goat much less young adults.
People think!!! It is in the best interest of everyone who seeks justice that McQueary be given a leave of absence. He is a witness to a crime that was committed and covered up by some very powerful people. Plus, there is a campus full of rioting students wishing to ring his neck for what they see as McQueary causing Paterno to be fired. If anything, McQueary should be removed from the state of Pennsylvania and put in the witness relocation program until he is no longer needed to testify.
You "wring" a neck, you don't "ring it".
It's hard to take anyone's opinions (pro or con) in the CNN comments section seriously
when the majority of commenters can't pass Grade 9 English.
Anyway, back to the story: the guy saw a kid who he guessed to be "about 10 years old" getting sodomized
by Sandusky in the gym's showers, and didn't call police. That's really the end of the story, isn't it?
We all know he got this job because he was bribed to keep his mouth shut. Now, fire him and charge him please.
I *think* as a whistleblower in this case his job is protected, and he can't be fired .
@Plato, I don't think he would be considered a whistleblower since he didn't report the incident to anyone outside of the organization. Whistleblowers defy their own organizations to do the right thing and alert authorities.
He should have been 1st to go.
And he is only on "leave", still not fired.
This stinks.
Penn State should not be investigating this crime. This should be the state police or FBI's job. Atleast have one or the other on the panel.
Just wondering where the DA is from 98...found his car in 98 and laptop in river with missing hard drive. Found hard drive but too damaged. No one can say why charges were never filed against Sandusky in 98. DA 's daughter just had him declared dead this year.....wow....a murder scandal too???
daughter had him declared dead. applied for this even before the 7 yrs came into affect. another cover up so they stop looking goro him. his family knows where he is. am sure of that.
I hope this chump gets prosecuted
What took them so long!!!! He should have been marched out the door the same time they let "JoePa" go.
Jerry Sandusky is a freak and his enablers all need to go. The old man, and his underlings. Shame on them all for allowing this predatory beast to flourish.
He should be fired along with the other three perverts.
failure to report a crime to the police is a crime
Letting them investigate is like letting the fox guard the chicken coop. Good ole boys network will cover each other.!!!