MOSCOW, Idaho – After three hours of deliberation, the University of Idaho’s student government organization, Association Students University of Idaho, voted 10-5 to request athletic director Rob Spear’s resignation Wednesday night.
Spear, a Butte native, is currently on 60-day administrative leave because of mishandling multiple sexual assault complaints against a former Vandals football player from 2013.
The meeting Wednesday was met with hours of public comment, including from Spear himself, who attended the meeting to present his case, defend his decisions from five years ago and answer questions presented by the student Senators. Following his time in front of the Senate, Spear and his associates departed as more public debate raged on.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, a statement written by Maggie Miller, a distance runner who was verbally threatened by former football player Jahrie Level, was read to the Senate.
This resolution passed by the ASUI is not a final decision on Spear’s time at the University of Idaho, but it could have a big influence.
“We don’t actually have the power to fire anyone,” ASUI Vice President Catherine Yenne told MTN Sports via email Wednesday morning before the meeting. “That being said, and I cannot speak for the President’s Office on this, but ASUI typically has a great relationship with President (Chuck) Staben, and we expect Rob Spear to be gone if the resolution passes.”
The resolution originally called for Spear’s resignation or firing, but firing was removed during discussion. It needed a simple majority to pass. The result of the resolution will now go to President Staben and as Yenne stated, many Senators feel confident he will not go against how the student Senators voted.
