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The Idaho State Board of Education fired University of Idaho athletic director Rob Spear on Thursday. According to a statement, the board voted to terminate Spear's employment "for convenience" and he will be paid for the rest of his contract, which runs through Feb. 17, 2020. The board had to decide on Spear's employment status because University of Idaho president Chuck Staben requested to recuse himself because of a conflict of interest. Spear was placed on administrative leave in April while school officials investigated concerns he mishandled some past reports of sexual harassment involving student-athletes. The investigation was launched after the Idaho Statesman newspaper in Boise ran a series of stories reporting on complaints by three different women, including two student-athletes, against a football player in 2012 and 2013. Both the university and Spear have acknowledged that Title IX policy wasn't followed when one of the female student athletes accused the football player of sexual assault; the football player was later dismissed from the team when a surveillance video surfaced backing the woman's allegation. All three allegations were reported to school officials and Moscow (Idaho) Police at the time. Pete Isakson, the school's associate athletic director, has been serving as interim AD while Spear was on leave. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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