Last Man Standing (Why does Mike McQueary still have a job at Penn State?)

The Slate ^ | Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011 | Josh Levin

[MinorityRepublican]

Joe Paterno is out at Penn State, but his assistant Mike McQueary, right, is still expected to coach Saturday

On March 1, 2002, Mike McQueary allegedly walked into the Penn State locker room and saw Jerry Sandusky raping a young boy. According to the grand jury report in the Sandusky case, McQueary—then a 28-year-old graduate assistant for the Nittany Lions football team—“left immediately, distraught.” McQueary then called his father, who advised him to tell coach Joe Paterno what he’d seen. He did as his father advised, and a short while later, he told Penn State’s athletic director Tim Curley and administrator Gary Schultz as well. A few weeks later, the report explains, Curley told McQueary “that Sandusky’s keys to the locker room were taken away and that the incident had been reported to The Second Mile,” Sandusky’s nonprofit for at-risk children. Until he testified before the grand jury, that’s where the story ended for Mike McQueary. He was never interviewed by Penn State police, and he never reported Sandusky’s actions to any other agency.

In the week since we’ve learned of Sandusky’s horrible crimes and Penn State’s negligence in reporting them, almost everyone who could conceivably have done anything to stop the alleged child molester has resigned or been dismissed. Paterno is out. So are Curley and Schultz and Penn State President Graham Spanier. But Mike McQueary, now Penn State’s receivers coach, still has a job, and as of Thursday afternoon, he’s supposed to coach in Saturday’s football game against Nebraska. How you feel about McQueary’s job status depends on how you choose to parcel out blame. Do you find the most fault with a man who witnessed a disgusting criminal act and didn’t report it to the police?

[AnonymousConservative]

Fathers can play a role, and help, but as you said, you became fascinated with Knights and Chivalry as a little kid. I’m guessing there was some spark in you that would have caught flame, regardless of circumstances. Sooner or later you’d have crossed paths with real men, and realized where you belonged. It’s too bad we can’t bottle the spark, and forcefully inject every pussy like this guy.

In contrast, some people are defective from the day they are born. No amount of quality parenting will fix their selfish self-focus. Just bad seeds.

I think this guy’s call to dad was not for moral guidance, but rather was for practical guidance, like how to avoid getting fired (don’t call the cops), and how to avoid getting arrested (pawn the whole thing off on a supervisor). Dad’s advise was practical, as it would appear Penn isn’t decent enough to fire him, and the Cops apperently won’t arrest him. All in all, it didn’t turn out bad for him at all. which is just a damn shame.

God bless the poor child who saw another adult, thought he might get saved, and then was just left alone to be preyed upon. They should all do hard time, with some really viscious cellmates.

[Joe 6-pack]

"I think this guy’s call to dad was not for moral guidance, but rather was for practical guidance..."

This Thanksgiving, as every year, I'm going to engage in my little personal tradition of watching Scent Of A Woman. This year, and probably for many years from now, I'm not going to be able to see the George Willis Jr. character without being reminded of McQueery and how he ran to his daddy.