Mike McQueary Sues Penn State for $4M for Defamation

Mike McQueary is suing Penn State University for defamation and whistle-blowing. The former graduate assistant and key witness in the Jerry Sandusky trial is seeking $4 million in damages.

In 2001, McQueary said that he saw Sandusky performing sexual acts on a boy in the Penn State showers. McQueary made national headlines and outraged many because people wondered why the former college quarterback didn't just maul Sandusky and save the boy.

Instead, McQueary was painted as a coward who not only whimpered away, but also failed to report the sexual abuse to authorities or anyone else. However, he claims this portrayal was not true, and McQueary says that this inaccurate portrayal of him was planted by Penn State's athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz who wanted to make him the scapegoat for the scandal, reports The Associated Press.

As it turns out, McQueary did report the child abuse to then-head football coach Joe Paterno. Paterno then alerted Curley and Schultz, reports the AP. Curley and Schultz are now facing criminal perjury charges for just exactly how much they knew about Sandusky.

Suing for defamation, McQueary claims that the false accusations that he did not report the abuse have irreparably harmed his reputation for honesty and integrity as well as his ability to earn a living coaching football, reports the AP.

Along with the defamation claims, McQueary also claims that he was retaliated against for testifying against Curley and Schultz in their perjury trail. McQueary says that he was a whistle-blower exposing the coverup at the university, and in turn, he was placed on administrative leave and later fired.

Mike McQueary's claims only add to the mounting legal problems that Penn State faces. Had university officials properly responded to the sexual abuse, they could have saved millions in potential civil lawsuits brought by the victims, millions in lawsuits brought by former employees, and more importantly helped save innocent child victims from being abused.

Related Resources:

• McQueary Files Lawsuit Against Penn State University (NBC)
• McQueary Seeks $4 Million From Penn State (Scout)
• Freeh Report Blames Joe Paterno, Penn State for Sandusky Cover-up (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)