ASUI will vote on a resolution Wednesday calling for the permanent removal of University of Idaho Athletic Director Rob Spear.
The vote will come just one day after UI President Chuck Staben announced Spear will be placed on paid administrative leave for 60 days.
ASUI Vice President Catherine Yenne said Staben’s decision was a step in the right direction but hopes the resolution would result in further action.
“I’m glad that President Staben took some action, but it’s not enough,” Yenne said. “(Spear) has a history when it comes to disregarding and minimizing the seriousness of sexual assault. I will not stand for that.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, the Senate will vote on a resolution “calling for the immediate resignation or removal” of Spear. According to the resolution, Spear did not follow Title IX guidelines, which directly violates his job description.
Rob Spear
“Rob Spear’s history of mishandling sexual assault and misconduct cases promotes an apathetic culture surrounding sexual assault and misconduct reporting on this campus, indicated by the fact that an anonymous form had to be created for people to express their concerns against Rob Spear and the Athletics Department,” according to the resolution.
ASUI President McKenzie MacDonald said while the Senate should have its voice heard, much of the necessary action had already been taken by the administration.
“I hope the Senate reconsiders their proposed action,” MacDonald said. “As I said last week, I believe ASUI should be making a strong statement. The Senate has done that, and President Staben has listened. He has thoroughly outlined his plans moving forward, and I believe the Senate should give him room to execute those plans.”
The resolution also addresses Staben’s remarks on Spear during the Senate’s March 29 meeting. In that meeting, Staben said Spear exhibits traits of a role model in reference to the athletic director’s recent involvement in sexual assault prevention.
“Mishandling reports of sexual assault and misconduct is an indication of someone unfit to lead college students in any manner and outweighs any other qualities they might have exhibited over the years,” according to the resolution.
If the university does not remove Spear, the resolution calls for a “last chance agreement,” which would result in the immediate removal of Spear should another Title IX violation occur. The same agreement would be applied to head football coach Paul Petrino’s contract.
Catherine Yenne
The resolution also calls for the hiring of two full-time employees in the Office of Civil Rights and Investigation.
McKenzie MacDonald
MacDonald said Staben’s proposed investigation in the Title IX mishandlings served as the first necessary step in resolving the issue.
“I think President Staben’s decision allows for a great amount of room for an objective and thorough investigation into the allegations,” MacDonald said. “I think it further highlights his commitment to fostering a safe and supportive campus community and it illustrates his willingness to take the concerns of students seriously.”
Yenne said she could not be sure if the resolution will pass, but said she hopes the university will take note of the Senate’s actions.
“Even if it wasn’t a formal resolution, there is enough evidence pointing to a negative culture surrounding the seriousness of sexual assault in UI Athletics that warrants the removal of Rob Spear,” Yenne said.
Spear’s leave of absence will end June 2, three weeks after the end of UI’s spring semester. Yenne said she took issue with the timing.
“While I appreciate the investigation, it almost feels like this case is being swept under the rug, as Rob Spear will return to campus shortly after many of us graduate or leave U of I for the summer,” she said. “This does not align with the no-tolerance policy that we are after. If anything, it sends the message that ‘sexual assault is okay, and we’ll look into it, but not guarantee that anything will be done to prevent it from happening again.’”
Yenne took additional action regarding sexual assault reporting by sending out an email to multiple UI departments Monday morning with a link to a Google Form where anyone can provide feedback on instances of Title IX mishandling.
“With many conversations that we have been having this past week, it became clear that people are not comfortable coming forward to speak out against Rob Spear, for fear of losing a scholarship, a job or becoming the subject of a harmful workplace culture,” Yenne said. “With that in mind, we created the anonymous form, so all people would feel comfortable speaking out, since they shouldn’t have to worry about job or scholarship security in voicing support for this issue.”
The Senate’s meeting will begin 7 p.m. Wednesday.
A previous version of this story stated the Senate would also vote on a bill allocating $558 to purchase a full-page advertisement in The Argonaut calling for Spear’s removal. Due to budget constraints, the Senate will strike this bill from the agenda during Wednesday’s meeting.
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected]
Cutt
Fire Spear and Petrino!