SPOKANE, Wash. -- University of Idaho students are calling on the school's athletic director to step down.
It stems from the schools handling of sexual assault and harassment allegations against a former Vandal football player. While the University of Idaho has admitted their mistakes in handling the claims initially, some student government leaders say more action is needed. In this case, they argue that firing the athletic director is the ultimate way to hold campus leadership accountable.
Catherine Yenne is the Vice President of ASUI, the school's student body. She drafted this resolution calling for the firing of athletic director Rob Spear. The controversy stems from a newspaper report earlier this month that examined how Spear handled a 2013 incident.
Two female athletes reported instances of sexual harassment and assault from former football player, Jahrie Level. He was later dismissed from the team following the accusations. The two women who spoke with the paper said that Spear did not pass along their complaints to the Dean of Students, a Title Nine violation.
"If we have issues with rape culture and problems with sexual assault and misconduct on this campus, people involved need to be held accountable," Yenne said.
In a statement, the university acknowledged that mistakes were made and the case was initially mishandled. The school reaffirmed their commitment to following up on sexual harassment claims. Earlier this week, University of Idaho President Chuck Staben reportedly defended Spear at an ASUI meeting and warned the student body of the serious nature of their resolution.
"We believe the way to change the culture on campus it to get rid of leadership positions that are not being held accountable in that respect," Yenne said.
The student body resolution does not carry any formal weight, it is more or less a student statement. Spear's fate ultimately rests with university administration.
KREM 2 attempted to contact Spear regarding this story. An athletics staff member said Spear was out of town but he did provide a statement from Spear. In reads in part: "I look forward to my upcoming meeting with ASUI leadership. It will allow me to completely and accurately explain the process followed in 2013."