Mike McQueary Must Be Fired Immediately: Inaction Is Not Acceptable

The Penn State scandal is deep, dark and far-reaching enough to transcend sports. It goes beyond anything we as sports fans are able to comprehend and blame shall be dolled out accordingly for years to come.

One issue, however, stands out in my mind.

Mike McQueary, the "graduate assistant" named in the grand jury report in the Jerry Sandusky child-abuse case, is still working as a Penn State coach and at this time is still being allowed to coach Saturday as Penn State plays Nebraska, even as others up the food chain have been dismissed.

Mr. McQueary, by his own admission, witnessed the rape of a 10-year-old boy and did nothing to stop it. Upon finding Mr. Sandusky and the young boy engaged in anal intercourse, he simply turned around and walked out of the locker room, presumably allowing the assault to continue. His response to this heinous crime committed before his own eyes was not to call 911, not to inform campus police, not to scream at the top of his lungs for the abuse to stop, not to physically confront the rapist, but to do nothing.

Instead, he left the scene of the crime and told his boss the next day as if he had witnessed someone stealing school supplies.

Of all possible human responses to what Mr. McQueary witnessed, he chose the one that is most inexcusable of all.

That the university has not already fired Mike McQueary is an insult to every player, the coaches and every parent who has entrusted that institution with the care of their children. One in six young men in America will be sexually abused, most by someone they and their families trust. Many of these cases of abuse are unpreventable. The one Mr. McQueary witnessed and all that came after the incident in the showers that night could have been prevented, should have been prevented and would have been prevented had he simply acted.

It was not enough to report this obvious rape the next day. It was not enough to go through administrative channels. It was not enough to leave that locker room and allow the rape of a child to be completed.

It is not enough now to let the wheels of justice decide if McQueary should remain employed by the Penn State football program. Anything short of his immediate termination is unacceptable.

There must be a clear message that inaction in the face of such crimes will not be tolerated. The players, the students and the parents deserve no less. The victims of Sandusky and those involved deserve at least this much.

Every attempt should be made by parents and concerned citizens to urge Penn State to terminate his employment immediately. Sponsors of ads during this and other Penn State athletic events should be contacted. We should not watch or in any way support the program until it does the right thing and removes Mike McQueary.

His inaction in the face of such clear evil is unacceptable, especially for one entrusted with the care of young student athletes.