The State Board of Education fired University of Idaho Athletic Director Rob Spear on Thursday — ending more than four months of speculation about his future.
The firing was for “convenience,” meaning Spear likely will be paid for the time left on his contract. The vote was unanimous in an open meeting Thursday at Idaho State University.
Spear had been on paid administrative leave since April 3 while the university hired two independent investigators to study his department’s handling of sexual assault and harassment complaints in 2012-13. The investigation concluded that Spear’s handling of a sexual assault accusation against a football player in 2013 was “inadequate” but also faulted the university for a lack of training and insufficient notice of policy changes.