Breaking: Mike McQueary Intends to sue Penn State

[JimmyBuff]

Well, Well, well, this is getting interesting.

If you haven't been following, McQueary changed the date of the so called rapes a few times now during the case.

Mike McQueary, the former wide receivers coach for the Penn St. Nittany Lions, was a key witness who testified about Jerry Sandusky's alleged actions in the PSU locker room in 2001. Following his coming forward as a witness, McQueary received death threats and was placed on administrative leave.
Mike Dawson of the Centre Daily Times reports that McQueary has filed a notice of intent to sue Penn State. The notice is for a civil suit and was filed in county court on Tuesday.
The details of the suit are not immediately known but the case is referred to in the filed documents as a whistleblower lawsuit. Under United States law, employees who report on illegal activity are protected and should not be subject to reprisal or termination by the employer as a result of their testimony.

http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-footba...andusky-penn-state-scandal-lawsuit/in/2304037

 

[XIIfan]

This is a tough one. Something just doesn't fit together here with the changed dates and the lack of openness.

I've always been puzzled by folks who file suit against former employers. Certainly there are times where it is warranted, but in this situation where McQueary is trying to build a career in coaching. How may universities or pro-teams want to hire that guy now? Sometimes it is best to cut your losses and move on to the next job while you're still employable.

 

[Creebuzz]

This is a tough one. Something just doesn't fit together here with the changed dates and the lack of openness.

I've always been puzzled by folks who file suit against former employers. Certainly there are times where it is warranted, but in this situation where McQueary is trying to build a career in coaching. How may universities or pro-teams want to hire that guy now? Sometimes it is best to cut your losses and move on to the next job while you're still employable.

I think his career in coaching was over long before the lawsuit. Rightly or wrongly, nobody was going to hire him given his baggage. The guy is tainted by the scandal as someone who didn't do enough to protect a child/children from an alleged pedophile.

 

[J.R. Ewing]

I think his career in coaching was over long before the lawsuit. Rightly or wrongly, nobody was going to hire him given his baggage. The guy is tainted by the scandal as someone who didn't do enough to protect a child/children from an alleged pedophile.

Agreed, his career was over the moment he decided to leave Sandusky in the showers with the kid.

 

[sackman]

I suspect he'd like to get back into coaching, but needs the money from the lawsuit to pay the bills. Once there's a settlement, he'll move to another part of the country and maybe take a job as a WR coach at a small college someplace. He's still young enough so that if he has some success, he can move up the ladder. In another 15 years, if he's played his cards right, he can be back at D-1 as an assistant coach. Maybe even a coordinator. Probably never be a head coach, though.

 

[Tatanka™]

Well, Well, well, this is getting interesting.

If you haven't been following, McQueary changed the date of the so called rapes a few times now during the case.

So called rapes??? WTF is that supposed to mean?

 

[MtnBuff]

I suspect he'd like to get back into coaching, but needs the money from the lawsuit to pay the bills. Once there's a settlement, he'll move to another part of the country and maybe take a job as a WR coach at a small college someplace. He's still young enough so that if he has some success, he can move up the ladder. In another 15 years, if he's played his cards right, he can be back at D-1 as an assistant coach. Maybe even a coordinator. Probably never be a head coach, though.

^^Agree with all of this^^ He could concievably even make it to a HC job at a mid-major type of place far enough in the future. His career as a "young, up and coming, assistant" is completely derailled now.

He has lost considerable earning potential and his reputation has taken a huge hit that will cost him in the future. I think despite his clear failing in this situation he has a solid argument that the actions of PSU cost him a huge amount and that a jury would at least consider awarding him the money.

The most likely outcome is that PSU comes to a settlement with him, likely funded by a donor in a way to keep the actual amount out of the media. They will be willing to do this for three reasons. One is that the potential for a bigger financial judgement is there and that would be public knowledge further damaging the standing of the school and the AD with certain voters and legislators, second is that a trial could result in lots of ugly details getting released and appearing front and center both in Pennsylvania and nationally. Lastly it will just continue to drag out the nightmare to those who are trying to get it into the past and move on.

Even if PSU believe themselves to be in the right and believe they are likely to win in the end it isn't worth it to them to let this thing drag on and drag them further through the mud.

 

[77buff]

There are now so many people involved in this mess that it is hard to figure out what is really going on. Penn State will be scarred for life. Peterno should have retired years ago. Now his rep is tarnished forever.

 

[cmgoods]

 

[GoBeers]

Some serious $$$ there, but they did beat Ohio State last weekend, so the townies probably don't care.

 

[sackman]

Good for him.

Now go start rebuilding that coaching resume.

 

[hokiehead]

the hell!?!?!!? this is the guy who saw Sandusky commit raping a kid and failed to report.

 

[sackman]

I thought he was the guy who tried to report but was told to shut up.

 

[leftybuff]

xx

 

[L Buff]

As I recall he told JoePa, who told him he'd take care of it. But then all Joe did was kick it upstairs to the AD and provost ... and they did nothing. McQueary's failure IMO was that he didn't immediately go into the shower and confront Sandusky with what he was doing and tell him to let the kid go.

 

[LongHaulBuff]

After nothing was done by Paturdo he needed to contact the police on his own. Him getting anything out of this is a joke.

 

[MtnBuff]

I fault him for not following up but unlike the rest of the scum there he at least recognized that something wrong was happening and did report it to someone in charge.

Penn State since has thrown him under the bus and that is what this award is all about.

In the big picture $7.3 million isn't going to change Pedo State's or their fans attitude towards what happened but every time more money gets added to the bill it gives them reason to at least consider changing things for the future.

 

[sackman]

So would any of this have come to light had he not said something? Do I have this story wrong? I thought he was the whistleblower.

 

[Ringer]

McDude saw his boss bangin' a young boy in the showers long ago, and sort of reported it, and never followed up with it to police officials, and now is suing for....what?

 

[skibum]

McDude saw his boss bangin' a young boy in the showers long ago, and sort of reported it, and never followed up with it to police officials, and now is suing for....what?

Because he was punished by his employer for reporting it.

He may not have pushed it as far as he should have, but he absolutely should not have been punished for what he did do.

 

[Ringer]

Because he was punished by his employer for reporting it.

He may not have pushed it as far as he should have, but he absolutely should not have been punished for what he did do.

The first rhetorical question a defense attorney would ask to a jury during a closing argument in this civil damages trial would be: "Why didn't Mr. McQueary, after observing his boss bangin' a young boy in the showers, ever contact law enforcement authorities?". After that unanswerable question, I would say: "OK, maybe he was scared about losing his job, but then after he told his superiors and nothing was done about it, for like several years, wouldn't you, members of the jury, have reported it?" This guy is toast.

 

[Alfred91]

Meh - he might not be the most stand-up guy himself, but he did what he did in terms of getting the information out there, and Penn State did what they in apparent retaliation for it.

I'm cool with Penn State having to pay him. ****ing over a whistle-blower is still ****ing over a whistle-blower, no matter what you think of the guy himself, or what he could have done in addition to what he did do.

 

[MtnBuff]

Meh - he might not be the most stand-up guy himself, but he did what he did in terms of getting the information out there, and Penn State did what they in apparent retaliation for it.

I'm cool with Penn State having to pay him. ****ing over a whistle-blower is still ****ing over a whistle-blower, no matter what you think of the guy himself, or what he could have done in addition to what he did do.

Yup, he did something, maybe not enough but he did something.

The rest did nothing then actively tried to hide it. Then they tried to destroy him to protect themselves.

Anything that hurts Pedo State in this situation is at least of some value.

The fact that they did to him what they did shows why he may have been hesitant to act further. This thing went through Paterno and into the president of the university and the guy who was in charge of all law enforcement on campus.

McQueary knew that they could kill his career and destroy him personally. Paterno told the university what it was going to do or not do in relation to anything related to the football program. The chief of the campus police, the chief of the local PD, the local DA, and others have all been shown to take orders from Paterno. The system was absolutely corrupt.

 

[DBT]

McDude saw his boss bangin' a young boy in the showers long ago, and sort of reported it, and never followed up with it to police officials, and now is suing for....what?

Is that what he saw?

 

[Ringer]

After Penn State's recent miracle win over OSU on a blocked field goal return, I saw a tweet or comment to the effect that Uncle Joe Paterno was looking up and smiling now...

 

[Ringer]

Is that what he saw?

Yes! he absolutely saw that, then sort of reported it to his immediate superiors, then never followed up. Now he wants money.

 

[Alfred91]

You know, I do recall him hearing him once, saying that he did actually break up the anal rape that he came upon, but that runs contrary to the original story, and I never did hear any details on what he did.

 

[DBT]

You know, I do recall him hearing him once, saying that he did actually break up the anal rape that he came upon, but that runs contrary to the original story, and I never did hear any details on what he did.

Couple of different versions but that doesn't change the facts of what was going on. Just a bad deal.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

He reported it and his superiors ignored it or tried to cover it up. He was then fired for reporting. It sounds like even the police covered it up. Their first investigation did not warrant a prosecution according to the DA.

The Board of Trustees commissioned an independent investigation by former FBI director Louis Freeh and his law firm. The Freeh Report stated that Spanier and Paterno, along with Curley and school vice president Gary Schultz, had known about allegations of child abuse on Sandusky's part as early as 1998, and were complicit in failing to disclose them (although Paterno did make a report to his superiors). In so doing, Freeh stated that the most senior leaders at Penn State showed a "total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims" for 14 years and "empowered" Jerry Sandusky to continue his abuse.[8][9]

There was a systematic coverup that took place. Had McQueary gone along or been silenced this could have continued.

 

[MtnBuff]

He reported it and his superiors ignored it or tried to cover it up. He was then fired for reporting. It sounds like even the police covered it up. Their first investigation did not warrant a prosecution according to the DA.

The Board of Trustees commissioned an independent investigation by former FBI director Louis Freeh and his law firm. The Freeh Report stated that Spanier and Paterno, along with Curley and school vice president Gary Schultz, had known about allegations of child abuse on Sandusky's part as early as 1998, and were complicit in failing to disclose them (although Paterno did make a report to his superiors). In so doing, Freeh stated that the most senior leaders at Penn State showed a "total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims" for 14 years and "empowered" Jerry Sandusky to continue his abuse.[8][9]

There was a systematic coverup that took place. Had McQueary gone along or been silenced this could have continued.

This whole thing is why the NCAA must have the power and the willingness to use it to regulate actions of member schools beyond the athletic arena.

Penn State is a classic case of the football program and the coach running it being beyond the control of the adminstration. For 14 years they made decisions to "protect the image" of the football program to the detriment of child victims. This was consistent with a range of things going on at Penn State which included Paterno being able to decide admission policy for athletes, handle all disciplinary actions regarding his athletes, and having full control of hiring and firing within the athletic department and in many cases of positions outside the athletic department that had contact of influence on athletes.

In short he operated in a completely unchecked manner making decisions for the good of the football program and his legacy. Is this much different that the power Dr. Tom had at Nebraska? Lou Holtz at ND? the Baylor situation? U of Miami?

I still fully expect at some point somebody in congress is going to decide to make a name for themselves by drawing attention to major college athletics. When this stuff hits C-Span and the news networks the train is going to be impossible to stop. Stories of rape, child rape, drug abuse, prostitution, of pimping female students to prospective athletes, of use of weapons and even a murder or two, of cars and houses and $100 bills, all accompanied by video of famous and not so famous athletes and coaches will be on America's TV screens.

When it does and in light of the NCAA's inability or unwillingness to respond we are going to see some form or regulation imposed by the federal government and when it does it will be a burden on and hurt all of college athletics including all those schools who's worst violation may be giving a kid a winter coat and an extra couple meals.