HARRISBURG — A whistleblower and defamation lawsuit against Penn State will go forward, a judge ruled Tuesday, denying the university’s request to dismiss it.

Former assistant football coach Mike McQueary sued the school in October, claiming he was portrayed as untruthful in statements made in 2011 by the university’s president after Jerry Sandusky’s arrest.

Judge Thomas Gavin said McQueary’s lawsuit makes sufficient claims of “outrageous conduct” on the part of the school to keep the case alive. He gave the school 20 days to respond to the lawsuit filed in October.

McQueary was a graduate assistant in February 2001 when he encountered Sandusky showering with a boy in a team locker room, complained about it to then-head coach Joe Paterno and then met with the two administrators about it.

Sandusky was first charged with child sexual abuse in November 2011. At the same time, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz, were accused of perjury and failure to properly report suspected abuse.