Just a few blocks from her apartment, Bodeau said, Gesser placed his hand on her leg. Schulz knew of the concerns surrounding Gessers possible harassment and misconduct, Weiler said. He leaned in and tried to kiss me. There was a number of eyebrows raised, Farkas said in the records. I couldnt pull away, so I put my hand in front of his mouth to try to stop him, she said It didnt stop him. That job eventually went to Offensive Coordinator Todd Sturdy. After the incident, she then drove him back to his hotel room, she said. Wold said she moved to the Olympia area following her time at WSU after receiving an offer for a volleyball coaching position at St. Martins University in Lacey, Washington. Once in the driveway, he made an attempt to kiss her which she said she refused. Receive News Headlines Right in your Inbox! Shortly after, she began to babysit for the family. Updated Tue., Sept. 18, 2018 at 8:06 a.m. Former WSU QB Jason Gesser (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review). Gesser would not respond to the Evergreens request for comment. I was really disappointed that not anything had been done anywhere on campus, Farkas said, according to the records. The Evergreen filed a records request for the HRS review but has yet to receive them. Gesser was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in April 2003. He has to be stopped.. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds. He finished the season completing 23 of 42 passes for 356 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. He only started two games, both victories, before spraining his ankle. I know hes pretty close with the volleyball program and has a friendship with [head] coach [Jen] Greeny and I wonder what that looks like being at their home alone, no supervision.. 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. After this, Wold said Gesser moved to the couch, where he then tried to get Wold to sit with him. 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The message said something to the effect of dont be a stranger, Wold said. Streets said. I had no idea what was going on. One incident she outlined occurred when she and Gesser met with a CAF donor for dinner at Foundry Kitchen & Cocktails in Pullman over a year before her January interview. There was no funny business.. She also said hearing Wold tell her the story made her angry, as she felt she hadnt been able to protect Wold since she was out of town that night. Lutheran Community Services 24-hour sexual assault crisis line: 624-7273. IAN SMAY and DYLAN GREENESeptember 17, 2018. It was after that fundraiser when Gesser allegedly tried to force himself on her. She gazes toward her feet, shaking her head, quietly processing her answer. At the time of the encounter, Gesser was a WSU employee who was helping raise money for the Cougar Athletic Fund. 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. However, this appears to contradict what occurred in the Gesser case, as others had named women not affiliated with WSU as being involved in the incidents, but those who were not a part of the university at any point do not appear to have been interviewed. The donor then called Ganders the next day and brought up the fact the former player had not returned until 4 a.m. the next morning, which the donor called weird, according to the records. These feelings kept her from inviting the Gessers to their wedding and when his name would pop up, it would bring back the emotions of that night. ". He had a full time job but all he ever looked for was something more. Anderson said she could not comment on specific investigations. Farkas told investigators this was the red flag that made all the yellows fall into place, according to the records. Bodeau grew up a volleyball star at West Valley High School in Spokane Valley. And having already received messages from dozens of women, she also issued a call to action: "If my story resonates with you, come forward. She had been asked by Kali Gesser, Jasons wife and part of the Cougar volleyball coaching staff at the time, and ended up taking care of their three kids three times a week, through which she met Jason. On Friday, Gesser who did not respond Monday to a new request for an interview issued a statement denying he had ever sexually harassed anyone and called the Evergreen report a non-story.. If Gesser or another university official engages in sexual activity with a student, it would present a problem for WSU, Weiler said. He . "Because they may not have felt like they had the support to speak their story.". Youre interested in them in a romantic way, so it would be on the basis of sex.. So it makes me sad that the school I love so much is making these decisions, Bodeau said about the conclusion of the original investigation. 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. When it was over, (Gesser) invited me to go have drinks with Bill Moos other co-workers and a female intern.. During an interview with KREM 2, she said she grew close to the Gesser family and met Gesser's wife through WSU volleyball. 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 can say confidently suggestive.. She also said OEO looks at instances of harassment, including social interactions that involve romantic propositions in the workplace. She holds a mug filled with tea. Ganders could not be reached for comment despite numerous attempts via phone by the Evergreen and Stevens said Greeny would also not comment on the matter. She asked about him in response to a question of whether she had brought up concerns about a coworker with Almond, her superior at the time. She then went on to speak about text messages between them, according to the records. "He's already a legendary guy here and he can be like Jason Gesser going through his high school career and never losing a game. He was told by somebody that I shared it. He is also minoring in criminal Dylan Greene is a journalism and media production major from Stanwood. 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. It was purely one-sided.. She thinks of the messages on her phone. Before he went to HR, Almond said he went to Gesser personally as a friend and neighbor to inform Gesser of what he had heard, according to the records. Im hoping it wont be a negative impact.. Twenty seconds pass. 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. When Wold started nannying for the Gessers in 2013, she was still a student but no longer an athlete. 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. Jason Gesser, the assistant director of athletics for the Cougar Athletic Fund, has resigned following new allegations of sexual misconduct by former WSU volleyball player Alyssa Wold. In 2006 Gesser signed with the AFL's Utah Blaze. Bring it to the light so that we all as a community can begin the healing process.". Gesser replaces Shawn McWashington, himself part of the iconic Fab Five receivers from the breakthrough 1997 Rose Bowl team. I definitely felt like I had the opportunity to be heard and that my situation was being taken seriously, Bodeau said. Never once did I feel unsafe or have anything at all that would have given me a flag of caution from the way that he acted, Wold said. As a professional, Gesser played for the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League, the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, and the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. Another woman with her own experience as a victim of sexual assault or harassment. You know when you aren't playing good. One person interviewed by OEO said they knew of one student babysitting for Gesser at the time of his interview this January, a trend which has been going on for years. The intern said she knew the complaint focused on Gesser before the interviewers mentioned his name, according to the records. The Evergreen published a story last Thursday outlining a number of allegations of sexual misconduct by Gesser as far back as 2014 that were discovered through hundreds of pages of public records. Although the finding is 2 months old, Bodeau was informed that the WSU investigation determined that Gesser had violated university policy in his interaction with her following a fundraiser in Tumwater in 2015. This is new information and a different set of events than previously reported, said Kimberly Anderson, executive director of the Office for Equal Opportunity. Farkas said in his interview with OEO that Ganders had told him the donor called and was irate because Jason dropped [the former player] off the following morning, according to the records. He sent me flirty texts one time and I thought it was weird, the intern said, according to the records. , money, salary, income, and assets. Bodeau says she's received messages from women who are afraid of filing a complaint at WSU because of the way the university handled the Gesser allegations. It was devastating. He made me feel like there was nothing wrong that happened.. Bodeau said she allowed Gesser into her apartment. The Vandals lost their final four games to finish 111 for the 2012 season. After a deluge of Spokane women call out alleged rapists and sexual abusers on social media, what comes next? She went on to play at WSU, where she met Gesser's wife, a former volleyball player herself. She expected a media firestorm. Weiler said while it would be alright for the university to pay for the expenses of a person at an event for a business purpose, a line would be crossed if that person was there for personal reasons. It is now affecting my every day when I interact with that donor.. I told [Almond] about it because hes my boss and I trusted him. There are 4 professionals named "Jason Gesser", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. Officials ultimately cleared Gesser of any wrongdoing. What if they don't have the same kind of support system? I knew it was more of a trend than it wasnt, she told investigators. I worry about having a student athlete or interns in that position as well. He seemed very nice.. His wife is Kali Surplus Jason Gesser Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. When a lifelong heart condition became worse, Donny Jones, who lives near Seattle, knew by last June that hed be heading to Spokane. Alyssa Bodeau didnt know how her life would change after she decided to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against former Washington State University quarterback Jason Gesser. I remember her being extremely upset about it, Peterson said. Facebook gives people the power to. Roberts also said Wold told her she didnt want to be involved with the Gesser family going forward. I thought thats weird and moved on. But I am reserved to see how it will affect her. One of the fall highlights for Gesser was going to a sports bar to watch the Cougars beat the Huskies, 28-25, in the Apple Cup, halting the streak of six consecutive Washington wins in the series. It was like he just disregarded it all.. He was only 18 years old. They were only a couple blocks away from her house at the time and she said the move confused her. I knew if I was honest with her that I could hurt the family., A year later she received a message from Gesser saying Dont be a stranger.. In August, IMG and WSU announced that Gesser would not resume his role as a radio analyst for WSU football games to allow him to focus on his role with the CAF. (None were related to Gesser, she says.). But then she had the encounter with Gesser in 2015. They then walked inside the house, where she said Gesser immediately restarted his attempts to kiss her. Generally speaking, yeah, the president of a university has the authority to do a lot of stuff, Schulz said. The guy is a master . At one point, she said, Gesser put his hand around Bodeaus head and tried to force a kiss. Mike Marlow, WSU deputy athletic director, accepted another job days after President Schulz was notified of the Gesser allegations. Brenna Peterson, one of Wolds former roommates, said Wold called her the next day and told her what happened with her and Gesser the night before. He is from United States. Nonconsensual groping, unwanted attempts to kiss. Farkas then went on to speak with Almond about the issue and also told investigators he reported the concerns to WSU Title IX officials on Dec. 26, 2017. During that year-and-a-half, Bodeau said she had frequent interactions with Jason Gesser, who had starred as WSUs quarterback from 1998-2002. It would have been easier to be quiet, she says. 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. "It's started showing me there's a bigger picture to this," she says. As people began to leave the group for their hotel rooms, she said Gesser suggested they stay longer to catch up. Almond said he did not refer to Gesser by name in the meeting because they were in public and he had been informed that Schulz would know who he was talking about. It's another thing entirely when women are sharing and trusting you with their story. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds. Her husband, Stephen Bodeau, has tried to support her. 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. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. I think our staff is pretty worn down with just dealing with all the rumors and continuing to try to go to bat for him, Ganders told investigators. WSU women beat No. A donor requested permission to bring a former WSU womens basketball player from California who was staying with them to the event, which Ganders said he approved, according to the records. I explained everything to him and it just brought everything rolling back because for a year I had suppressed it so hard to try to forget it.. The university placed Gesser on home assignment followingan Office for Equal Opportunity complaint filed Monday morning by Wold, according to a joint statement from WSU President Kirk Schulz and Director of Athletics Pat Chun. She said that final act made me want to vomit and I felt so disgusting.. 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.. I bleed crimson for my love of Pullman. I would imagine it was the start of the investigation, Weiler said of when Schulz was informed of the situation. CougEd Hall Of Fame. So many questions. I didnt want to hurt the kids, I didnt want to hurt the wife because I was carrying around the belief that this was my fault, and I thought I was the only one this was happening to, and I thought if I remove myself from the situation it will all go away., Bodeau, her boyfriend at the time, said he was on the porch while Wold did homework in his room when she came out to talk and looked distraught.. "She's sad that this is going on and has been going on for so long," he says. Bodeau grew up in Spokane Valley, attended West Valley High School and played volleyball at Lewis-Clark State College before transferring to WSU in 2012. Gesser says his ultimate goal is coaching at the college level, preferably at Washington State. Wold said the recent revelations about allegations against Gesser made her come forward. I purely want to help prevent this from happening to more girls, Wold said. In his statement issued Friday about the earlier misconduct investigation and subsequent news coverage, Gesser wrote: The only thing I care about more deeply than WSU is my family and integrity. I still think its affecting her now, Peterson said. 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. 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. 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. Bodeau, 27, reads each one out loud, feeling the weight of each woman's experience. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. 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. Jason Gesser is an entrepreneur and the founder of Grit Consulting, a business consultancy that provides strategic tools to help support companies' organic growth. He never wanted a full time job so he went towards the . I chose to go there. Gesser was on a year-by-year contract with IMG, according to records. Receive News Headlines Right in your Inbox! I decided to not contact them at all for fear of running into him or for fear that I did something wrong.. The woman, 27-year-old Alyssa Bodeau, told The Spokesman-Review she filed the official complaint Monday with the WSU Office for Equal Opportunity after reading a story on Saturday about other allegations brought against Gesser. He is the only player in Cougar history to be elected as captain three consecutive years. So, how much is Jason Gesser worth at the age of 43 years old? I thought I was the only one that this happened to. She expected a media. Gesser had a position of authority over the intern in question, according to the records. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 31 May. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. Ganders, a regional director for the CAF at the time, and Gesser attended the event. In his resignation letter, Gesser apologized to WSU President Kirk Schulz, Bill Moos, former athletic director, and Pat Chun, the current athletic director, for his private life creating a distraction for WSU. Farkas also told investigators the department held some concerns over Gessers decision to invite the woman to the event. Another woman frustrated that institutions won't hold her abuser accountable. She kind of didnt want to believe what had just happened., That same day, Gesser texted Bodeau. What about the institutions, the power structures that let this go on for so long in the first place? Gesser resigned. It might just take a little bit for me to feel comfortable. she asks. 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. She was concerned as to why Jason had sent her a flirty text message. However, Bodeau said she went on to tell him the whole story. The Evergreen talked to two people close to Wold who said they received a phone call from her the morning after the incident occurred. And then he tried again with both hands and slid both hands up my dress and put them on my butt, and I kept pushing him away and telling him no and he kept saying its OK. . Bodeau went home after dropping Gesser off at his hotel. She went on to describe how he kept attempting to kiss her after she repeatedly said no. Weiler said the OEO review did not result in action against Gesser because of a lack of official complaints from those who voiced concerns over the allegations. What I had been telling myself for three years was, Just be silent. 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. He is second, only to Luke Falk, in having the most wins of any quarterback in Washington State history. I had to cover my mouth with my hand and he kept pulling me in so close and was kissing my hand that was over my mouth, and he kept pulling me closer.. It made me avoid Pullman. She knows if she had to do it all over, she would definitely share her story publicly again. Jason Gesser's income source is mostly from being a successful . After going winless in four starts, he was replaced by Andy Kelly. That kind of wrecked me right there. 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. After Bodeau graduated, Gesser, now 39, asked her to attend a fundraiser in Tumwater. He and fellow ex-Cougar Ryan Leaf both campaigned for the position of quarterbacks coach at WSU when it became available after the 2007 season. He is also minoring in criminal Dylan Greene is a journalism and media production major from Stanwood. 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 tried to force himself on her after a fundraising event in 2015. He texted me and asked to meet with me, Almond said in the records. He said, We probably shouldnt tell my wife that I saw you. That sent me into a whirlwind because I didnt know what to think. She played her junior season in 2012, but chose to sit out her senior year because of an injury. By OEO determined it didnt have enough evidence to conduct an investigation under Executive Policy 15, but referred the matter to Human Resource Services based on information from witnesses that may violate other WSU polices or raise concerns related to employee performance and professionalism.