The slogan #MeToo flooded social media just over a year ago in October 2017. Women came forward across platforms, speaking out and sharing their stories of sexual assault.
The wave washed through the United States, from Hollywood to the small town of Moscow, Idaho.
Former Idaho swim and dive athlete Mairin Jameson joined the movement in January 2018 when she posted her story to Tumblr, a social media blogging site, recounting her experience with an Idaho football player and the ways it was mishandled the following year when she brought it forward. Jameson detailed her experiences with former football player Jahrie Level, leading up to the night he sexually assaulted her at a downtown bar.
After the assault, Jameson brought her account forward within the Idaho athletic department to Rob Spear and was met with a passive response. She took her case to the Moscow Police Department and was quickly met with a response from the university. However, UI’s action was too little, too late.
Spear and the university have stood behind the defense there was little framework set in place to handle issues regarding Title IX, issues such as the case Jameson presented. The Idaho State Board of Education fired Spear and UI took surface-level action, including pulling together a committee for student safety in 2018.
Jameson coming forward with her account ultimately led to Spear’s removal as Idaho’s athletic director. Her story enacted administrative change within the athletic department. That is a victory for her and others part of the #MeToo movement.
But Jameson did not stop there.
Where it may have been easy to interpret UI’s removal of Spear as enough retribution, Jameson continues to hold the university accountable. Jameson filed a lawsuit against the university Tuesday, seeking monetary damages for UI’s mishandling of her sexual assault case.
Many survivors of sexual assault deal with the lingering effects of the assault long after the incident itself — while there may be Band-Aides that can heal the initial wound, it is a scar that lingers long after the incident.
The university dealt with Jameson’s case by initially resorting to just sweeping it under the rug. When she came forward on Tumblr and various media outlets, she brought her story back into the light.
UI fixed it with a Band-Aide by removing Spear. Jameson elected to further pressure UI into accountability this week with the lawsuit.
Official action is a starting point, but rarely is it the final step in cases of sexual assault.
As long as there are people like Jameson, people willing to take risks in the name of accountability, then movements like #MeToo will continue to create change.
Jameson is right to take action against the university. It is her determination that will hopefully enact substantial changes, which will benefit future students and athletes.
— MS