>>
make a big turn and talk about this serious story that's leading our news this morning, this widening
child sex
scandal at
penn state university
. now the assistant football coach who allegedly witnessed
jerry sandusky
sexually assaulting
a
young boy
is caught up in the firestorm as well. nbc's ron mott is live at
state college
with more. good morning.
>> reporter:
assistant coach
mike mcqueary
is set to be a
key witness
in the case against a former assistant. because emotions are raw and volatile the university is keeping him away from the stadium for tomorrow's
big game
. right now,
mike mcqueary
is in the
eye of the storm
. the
penn state
scandal cost football coaching legend
joe paterno
his job and other high ranking officials theirs. mcqueary still holds one but he's been sidelined. in a statement "due to multiple threats made against assistant coach
mike mcqueary
the university decided it would be in the
best interests
of all for mcqueary not to be in attendance for the game."
>>
a lot of students cannot understand that, because it seems as though they both committed the same crime of negligence.
>> reporter:
according to the
grand jury
, mcqueary saw former assistant
jerry sandusky
allegedly
sexually assault
a
young boy
in a campus shower nearly a decade ago. mcqueary told paterno who notified his boss, the
athletic director
. both, along with sandusky, deny allegations against them. at paterno's home on thursday no, sign of the famed coach who has rallied students throughout the week. pattern know has reportedly contacted a prominent
criminal defense
attorney. some students are waiting to get his take on the controversy.
>>
everybody wants to take his side, but until we can get all the facts and we want to hear from him, we want to hear what he has to say.
>> reporter:
governor
tom corbett
, the state's attorney general in
2009
when the current investigation into abuses began said there's plenty of regret to go around.
>>
any pennsylvanian who has any knowledge of this case feels a sense of regret and a sorrow to also see careers end, but we must keep in mind that when it comes to the safety of children, there can be no margin for error, no hesitation to act.
>>
i think it's going to be an absolute
clean sweep
of this football staff. it's hard to fathom that coaches who have been here 33 years, 34 years and another coach 24 years had no inkling of what jerry san sandusky had been doing for over a decade and it doesn't stop with
joe paterno
.
>> reporter:
in contrast to some of the roundiness we saw on campus wednesday night
penn state
students organized a candlelight vigil tonight to refocus some of the attention on the victims of the alleged
sexual abuse
.
>>
ron mott, a story that is still developing. thank you for reporting this morning.
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