I was told that Schulz had already been made aware of discretions about Jason Gesser by his cabinet prior to our meeting. She went on to play at WSU, where she met Gesser's wife, a former volleyball player herself. Gesser, who led the Cougars to the 2003 Rose Bowl and conference co-championship, is often referred to as a "celebrity" at donor events in an apparent attempt to draw more attendees, according to the records. I continued to suppress it for three years total for fear of hurting their family, she said. She said she decided not to tell people about what happened because she didnt want to harm the Gesser family. Anderson said she could not comment on specific investigations. The department can reach out to those outside of WSU if there is reason to believe they have important information, Anderson said. Weiler said Schulz would trust his senior managers and supervisors to make a decision on employee discipline in their department if there was a concern about a particular individual and that he would not want to override anyones decision. In 2006 Gesser signed with the AFL's Utah Blaze. As a coach, I seek out schools that provide all aspects of our youths development and create an environment that fosters growth through trusted relationships.. Seton went 1-13 last fall under coach Kelly Adams. WSU women beat No. He said he felt the need to bring up the concerns surrounding Gesser, despite the original purpose of the meeting being a discussion about IMG and WSUs relationship. Schulz, who did not comment directly on the story, spoke with the Evergreen staff during a meeting on Sept. 7 and said he can step in during personnel matters. ". Dont wreck a family, she continued. It was similar to other allegations against Gesser that WSU investigated earlier this year. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Gesser, who was assistant athletic director at WSU, resigned last week in light of the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. He played as WSUs quarterback from 1998 to 2002. I started to get really scared because he was not listening. Uri Farkas, a former athletics administrator who was heavily questioned by the OEO, said people were mad Gesser had seemingly escaped any recourse for his alleged indiscretions. , money, salary, income, and assets. WSU President Kirk Schulz and Director of Athletics Pat Chun responded to Bodeaus complaint Monday by announcing in a joint statement that a new allegation of sexual misconduct had been reported. Kali. Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. When asked if he could step in during personnel matters, Schulz answered yes. I hadnt seen the kids in a very long time. PULLMAN, Wash. Jason Gesser, Washington State assistant athletics director and director of development/major gifts for the Cougar Athletic Fund, resigned from Washington State University on. He returned to work at WSU in 2013. After the event, Ganders said in the records, a group of people including Gesser and the former player went out for drinks, after which the former player elected to get a ride home from Gesser. He was originally hired at Idaho as running backs coach in June 2011. No ones been willing to come forward to make an official complaint, Weiler said. "How seriously are these allegations really being taken?" In the statement, WSU leaders said the new report was the first time an alleged victim made a formal complaint against Gesser, who works an assistant athletic director for the Cougar Athletic Fund. I had no idea what was going on. Washington State University placed Jason Gesser, a former quarterback and current athletic department employee, on administrative leave Monday after a former Cougar athlete alleged Gesser. He has to be stopped.. Seeing how many other women this happens to has hit her the hardest. I purely want to help prevent this from happening to more girls, Wold said. During his career, he appeared in 40 games, made 35 starts, led the Pac-10 in passing yards as junior, was the first Cougar to throw for 3,000 yards twice and led WSU to a 2001 Sun Bowl victory and to the 2003 Rose Bowl. Alyssa Wold-Bodeau, a former WSU volleyball player, told The Daily Evergreen on Monday that Gesser groped her and tried forcefully to kiss her after the two attended a fundraising event in 2015.. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. Nonconsensual groping, unwanted attempts to kiss. He was inducted into the Washington State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016, and was also ranked 9th of the top 12 greatest Washington State University football players of All-Time by the Pac-12 Networks. The same woman in question also told investigators Gesser held a higher role than her in the department and had sent her suggestive texts, including during work hours. Weiler said there is nothing inherently wrong with employees having students babysit as long as nothing inappropriate takes place. I worry about having a student athlete or interns in that position as well. Wold played volleyball for the Cougars from 2012-2013 before foregoing her senior season due to injuries. It made me avoid Pullman. Whitman County Massage therapist says Jason Gesser exposed himself to her Streets was a massage therapist about three years ago in Moscow, Idaho, and Gesser was one of her clients. I am thrilled to join the Seton Catholic family, Gesser said in a press release. In 2013, Gesser returned to Pullman after six years of professional football and several coaching stops, including a stint at the University of Idaho. The couple said the incident has been something theyve had to work through during their marriage. After the incident, she then drove him back to his hotel room, she said. Her hand clenches the mug handle. A story last week in the WSU student newspaper, The Daily Evergreen, uncovered a litany of allegations. We will update Jason Gesser's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. It is now affecting my every day when I interact with that donor.. About six months after she moved to the west side of the state, she said she received a message from Gesser asking if she would like to attend the South Sound Social in Tumwater on June 17, 2015, a CAF event. Washington State University placed former quarterback, and current athletic department employee, Jason Gesser on administrative leave Monday after a former Cougar athlete came forward with new . Once inside, he continued to attempt to kiss her and pushed his hands under her dress. I dont remember exactly all the exchange, but there was an advancement to kiss me, which caught me off guard, nor did I lean in or encourage that, she said in the records. The earliest OEO interview notes obtained as part of the records request are dated in early January. Various officials, including spokespeople for WSU Athletics, the OEO and Schulz could not be reached for comment by the time of publication despite numerous attempts. Kali Gesser previously coached at Pullman, leading the Greyhounds to back-to-back 2A state appearances in 2017 and 18. Gesser recruited the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii for Idaho. "From men.". When Wold started nannying for the Gessers in 2013, she was still a student but no longer an athlete. I didnt expect it. [Gesser] ruined the school that I love and that I want to be an alumna in, she said. Nothing in that year-and-a-half led me to believe that I could not trust him, Bodeau said. Associate Director of Athletics Bill Stevens said Gesser and Director of Athletics Patrick Chun would not comment on the story, citing WSUs policy against commenting on personnel matters. When she was received the text, she was at her now-husbands house in Spokane and said the two had only been dating for a couple of weeks at the time. "She's sad that this is going on and has been going on for so long," he says. He just kept saying that over and over and I was so confused and terrified about the situation, Wold said. When Gesser invited her to the CAF event, Wold said she was excited to attend and catch up with athletics staff, as she was very supportive of athletics as an alumna. After a six-year professional career and several coaching stops, including a stint at Idaho,. You have to have full commitment from the family as Leach did when he asked his wife if she would rather have him happy and poor, coaching, or miserable and money, law. If no one is willing to come forward, the investigation goes as far as it can.. Hundreds of pages of public records show a number of allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against Jason Gesser, assistant director of athletics at the Cougar Athletic Fund, dating back as far as 2014. 3 Utah in biggest win in program history, Greyhounds win first game in Yakima; continue state tournament run, Baseball reaches second best start in Brian Green era, Cougar mens golf go toe to toe with the best, Cougars take their chances, win in first round of Pac-12 Tournament. The Evergreen has confirmed Wold coached for SMU in 2014 through the universitys website. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 31 May. Jason Gesser has been a stay-at-home dad this NFL season, but the former Washington State quarterback hopes his football fortunes are about to improve. She definitely didnt want me to tell anyone else because she wasnt sure how she was going to deal with it.. All told, out of the hundreds of messages of support she received, around 30 are women who themselves were victims of sexual misconduct, many at WSU. Copyright 2023, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy, Former Washington State quarterback, and current athletic department employee, Jason Gesser has issued a statement denying that he has had any inappropriate sexual relations with interns or staff, and wrote that he will not allow his name to be unfairly smeared. |, Washington State University officials announced Thursday that they found no violation of University policy regarding an investigation into alleged inappropriate sexual conduct by former quarterback, and current athletic staff member, Jason Gesser. It would have been easier to be quiet, she says. Allegations outlined in the public records include: The Evergreen reached out to Gesser multiple times through various means, including email and numerous phone calls to his office and cell phone, but he did not respond to our attempts. Receive News Headlines Right in your Inbox! "How many does it take for it to become an issue?" If its a money thing why WSU is keeping him around then shame on them, she said. Schulz, who would not speak directly to the Evergreen about the story, met with our staff on Sept. 7 as part of a new series of monthly meetings. [Donor] called me and told me it was [bullsh-t] that she was invited, that it was a misuse of state funds, Ganders told investigators. She gazes toward her feet, shaking her head, quietly processing her answer. 2,448. EP 15 prohibits discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct and applies to all students, faculty, staff and anyone associated with the university, according to the OEO website. Im happy that shes taking the steps, Roberts said. Wold said she had buried that night in her mind until a year later in 2016 whenshe said Gesser sent her a text message that made the emotions of that night flood back. Ganders, a regional director for the CAF at the time, and Gesser attended the event. "I want to do something, but I don't know how. "There were just so many girls with their own stories across the nation, and I just felt it, and it was so heavy," she says. The university released a statement following that article stating that OEO completed an investigation into the allegations of Gesser and found no violation of WSU policy. PULLMAN, Wash. Jason Gesser, the Cougar Athletic Fund assistant director resigned from Washington State University Tuesday amid multiple sexual misconduct allegations, including a formal. It was purely one-sided.. She said Gesser offered to catch her up with how his family was doing and asked her to pick him up from his hotel. When a lifelong heart condition became worse, Donny Jones, who lives near Seattle, knew by last June that hed be heading to Spokane. Ganders told investigators that CAF staff was tired of dealing with the issues surrounding Gesser. Bodeau went home after dropping Gesser off at his hotel. There was enough concern for me to bring to President [Schulz], Picciotto told investigators. Bailey Roberts, 26, said she remembered getting a phone call from her older sister about the encounter with Gesser. In the following years since that night, Wold said she struggles when she sees images or articles about Gesser. Seton Catholic has named Kali Gesser wife of former Washington State quarterback Jason Gesser as its new head volleyball coach, athletic director Phil Kent announced Tuesday. ", If nothing develops, he said, "then I'll probably go into coaching because I want to be a college coach.". I curled up in the fetal position and cried myself to sleep, she said. Alyssa Bodeau's phone won't stop buzzing. Her younger sister, Bailey Roberts, said she could tell Wold was torn up about what had happened. . This is new information and a different set of events than previously reported, said Kimberly Anderson, executive director of the Office for Equal Opportunity. And that text made me feel like I couldnt say anything, so I decided to remove myself completely from the family. She also said she had heard of these things happening before her employment at WSU. I even told him because youre married and you have kids, kids that I love, she said. He played quarterback for Washington State Cougars of the Pac-10 under head coach Mike Price, and played in the 2003 Rose Bowl. In June 2015, Bodeau said she received a text from Jason Gesser inviting her to attend a fundraiser in Tumwater. "Oh my gosh, there's more there's another one.". During an interview with KREM 2, she said she grew close to the Gesser family and met Gesser's wife through WSU volleyball. The Daily Evergreen released a 3,100 word report last Thursday outlining a number of allegations of sexual harassment. Jason was flirty at times, Wold said, but she chalked this up as part of his personality and he never appeared threatening while she was in Pullman. I received a text from Jason Gesser that next day, saying that we probably shouldnt tell [his] wife that we saw each other, Wold said. 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Aside from writing and editing investigative news stories, he enjoys hiking, watching basketball and spending time with his wife and cat. Investigators also attempted to interview (Gesser) and (former Athletic Director) Mr. William Bill Moos, who was present at the CAF event in 2015, investigators wrote. At 43 years old, Jason Gesser height not available right now. Schulz knew of the concerns surrounding Gessers possible harassment and misconduct, Weiler said. In his opinion, she was being flown up to be Jasons girl at the event. He was only 18 years old. Almond said in his interviewwith OEO that he felt the need to come forward with his worries to IMG HR after hearing about the alleged relationship with a student-athlete, according to the records. Idaho's head coach Robb Akey was the defensive line coach at WSU during Gesser's playing days for the Cougars. "Institutions have a responsibility to protect their employees, to protect those who are under them from these things happening to these girls," she says. Bodeau, 27, reads each one out loud, feeling the weight of each woman's experience. Instead of playing professional volleyball while her husband played professional. When other girls came forward, it changed the game, said Bodeau, whose maiden name is Wold. Jason Gessers income source is mostly from being a successful . It shook me up pretty bad when I saw it, to the point where I ran to [Bodeau], who was my boyfriend at the time, Wold said. She said she ran out on the porch to talk to him. She went on to describe how he kept attempting to kiss her after she repeatedly said no. A former WSU volleyball player has come forward with new allegations of sexual misconduct against Jason Gesser, assistant director of athletics for the Cougar Athletic Fund. The woman confirmed she had her travels and accommodations paid for by WSU and that Gesser had invited her to the event. I chose to go there. They are evaluating whether we renew [Gessers] agreement for the fall.. The newspaper documented several allegations of inappropriate advances toward student interns and colleagues that prompted a 2017 investigation by the WSU Office for Equal Opportunity. A WSU employee, who the Inlander is not naming and who reported that Gesser tried to kiss her, has also since left WSU. WSU has determined that Gessers interaction with Bodeau violated university sexual harassment policy. Who Is Jason Gesser's Wife? She said she again reminded Gesser of his family. Employees within the athletics department informed investigators they knew of alleged sexual harassment and misconduct, including some involving student interns, according to OEO interview notes. I still think its affecting her now, Peterson said. 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"It's started showing me there's a bigger picture to this," she says. I definitely felt like I had the opportunity to be heard and that my situation was being taken seriously, Bodeau said. [She said] the man she used to nanny for had tried to force himself on her.. Kali has landed a sales job with a pharmaceutical company. I wanted to protect (Gessers wife), Bodeau said. At the time of the encounter, Gesser was a WSU employee who was helping raise money for the Cougar Athletic Fund. At least one intern spoke with OEO investigators about her time at WSU, but it was unclear if it was the same intern who allegedly had a sexual encounter with Gesser. Gesser says his ultimate goal is coaching at the college level, preferably at Washington State. And I'm a stranger, and they're coming to me. Gesser answered the Evergreens call, but hung up before we could identify ourselves or ask any questions. She did convey that the flirty text message occurred when she was a student and interning with [IMG].. In the records obtained by the Evergreen, multiple people interviewed by OEO said Schulz was either aware of or had been personally told of the allegations against Gesser. She walked-on as a transfer after being recruited by Head Coach Jen Greeny, she said. "They're coming to me with this, and most of them haven't told anyone yet. If there is not a business reason for the university to be paying for that persons expenses, thats against the law, Weiler said. and I am deeply committed to my wife . Gesser was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in April 2003. Almond also said he was told to shut my mouth and stay in my lane, but did not make clear who said that, according to the records. Gesser and his wife, former WSU volleyball player Kali Surplus, and their 17-month-old daughter, Jordyn, have stayed in Tennessee but a move to the Tacoma area is planned for mid-January. She trusted him and then that happened and she was in a weird spot.. It's Tuesday, a day after coming forward to say that former Washington State University quarterback Jason Gesser groped her and tried to kiss her against her will. It made me avoid coming back here to games, one of my favorite things to do, because I didnt want to run into him, she said. While Gesser provided the statement the day he resigned, he did not cooperate with the WSU investigation. Her husband said she originally didnt want to tell him the details, telling him she had received an unwanted text message. She was concerned as to why Jason had sent her a flirty text message. After this, she said Gesser made aggressive attempts to pull her in for a kiss, which she was only able to block by putting her hand over her mouth. Ian Smay is a senior journalism & media production major, with an emphasis in broadcast news, from Dayton, Washington. Frontier Behavioral Health's 24-hour First Call for Help line: 838-4428 or toll free at 1-877-678-4428.