Pictured Above: Gustavo Spangher and Yovela Debesay issued statements via social media announcing their resignation from candidacy as system-wide president and vice president.
Courtesy of @gustavoandyovela2021 on Instagram
By Sophie Ojdanic and Catherine Hicks
System-wide president and vice president candidates Gustavo Spangher and Yovela Debesay resigned from their candidacies this morning via statements issued on the ticket’s Instagram page.
The resignations come after a letter was released by Spangher’s ex-girlfriend, Paige Walsh, detailing what she said was in a “jealous” and “toxic” relationship.
“This relationship ended up being one of the most mentally and emotionally damaging experiences I’ve ever went through,” Walsh wrote. “Once the curtain was pulled back, and I witnessed him behind closed doors, that good guy façade fell through. At his core, and for all his faults I could name, I want to emphasize that Gustavo is a misogynist, and I feel that trait explains many of his negative interactions with women, as well as his male friend’s inability to see his flaws.”
Spangher, the current system-wide vice president, did not address his current role in the statement.
Sexual misconduct allegations against Spangher first surfaced in late June, when a slew of allegations came through on the @SurvivorsUSF Twitter account against members of Greek life at USF Tampa.
Two allegations then accused Spangher of “predatory behavior” at fraternity parties.
The @SurvivorsUSF account had taken the posts down at one point, but put them back up later the same day.
“I think it is important for those in positions of power to be held to a higher level of accountability, because they serve as role models and examples for everyone else to follow,” the account wrote.
Last week, an anonymous message posted by @usfconfessions on Instagram said: “USF admin has been told about him, but they never did anything about his serial predatory behavior at parties, the things he says about women, and his history of covering up things for his frat bros. I think students voting for him should know.”
Spangher responded to that post in the comments section, saying that the behavior mentioned in the post “does not align with … any of my personal values.”
Another @usfconfessions post about Spangher was made hours before the release of Walsh’s letter.
Walsh’s statement was released Feb. 21 at 6:07 p.m., and explained her experiences with Spangher.
“Gustavo Spangher is a misogynist,” she wrote. “He clings to dangerous stereotypes that he uses to feel morally superior and uphold rape culture. Seeing a man like this hold one of the highest offices in Student Government has been horrifying.”
Walsh said she considered transferring to a different university after Spangher was nominated system-wide vice president.
“I considered transferring universities last spring when I found out he was running for Vice President last spring, as I believed that any institution that would raise a man of no character to a position of power was not an institution I was safe in,” Walsh wrote.
That evening, at about 9 p.m., Debesay issued her resignation statement on the @gustavoandyovela2021 Instagram account.
“Thus, in light of recent events, it does not resonate well with me to knowingly run alongside a candidate that has hurt various people on campus. The views expressed of my running mate are no in any way representative of myself, which is why I am making the decision to no longer be publicly associated. As a student, as a woman, as a human being, I could not move forward with this.”
About three hours later, Spangher issued his resignation statement.
“In my past 3 years at USF I have learned much about my own biases, and I’ve come to realize how present misogyny has been in my life and how much I believe that was influenced by my cultural upbringing in Brazil,” Spangher wrote. “I acknowledge that I’ve held men and women to different standards in sexual relationships. I’d like to say I’m a much different person than I was 2 years ago, and I have more to overcome.
“While I recognize my past biases and mistakes and believe I have grown and still am learning from past experiences, I am choosing to withdraw my candidacy for student body president because I understand the detriments of misogyny and my role in fostering that culture. It’s unfortunate that this is where my leadership journey ends here at USF, but I do hope to continue to do better and be a positive influence.”
Both Spangher and Debesay said they still stand behind their campaign’s platforms.
In her statement, Walsh wrote to “every single person who’s seen the stories, heard the whispers, seen the anonymous posts and thought, ‘This doesn’t sound like the Gustavo I know. These women are probably dramatic or lying. He’s a nice guy, he would never do that.’
“This message is for you. Those thoughts are internalizations of rape culture, and they’ve festered on USF’s campus as they do so many other college campuses.”
This is a developing story. Stay with crowsneststpete.com for updates.
‘Extremely ashamed’
The following is the statement issued by Spangher.
Hello everyone.
It is with great sorrow that I’ll be withdrawing my candidacy for student body president. And I will explain why.
A few hours ago, my ex-girlfriend came out publicly with a statement reciting instances of our relationship where I was jealous and toxic, when I propagated stereotypes about Greek life, and with the overall message that I am misogynist. And my intention here is not to come deny any of the stories she shared.
Paige was my first girlfriend, and we started dating at the end of my freshman year. Whenever I broke things off, it was merely because I just didn’t feel for her what she felt for me and I thought it was the best course of action, not because I thought we had a bad relationship. However, I’ve spent the past 2 years reflecting on my first relationship, and I have come to realize how jealous I was at instances, and how toxic I might have come across. I made a lot of mistakes, like I would think a lot of people have in their first serious relationship, but I am not the same person I was 2 years ago and have grown much from it.
In regard to my remarks about Greek life, I came into USF having no idea what fraternities and sororities were outside of what mainstream media showed. I believed in some very bad stereotypes as a Freshman, and reading the screenshots that she attached, I’m extremely ashamed and sorry of the way I referred to both fraternity men and sorority women. However, given I even joined a fraternity, my Freshman year stereotypes do not reflect my current views on Greek life. I do think there are a lot of deeply rooted issues within Greek life, but I have come to see the good sides of the Greek community, have greatly benefited from the personal connections I have made, and have completely changed my perspective on fraternity and sorority life and its members.
In my past 3 years at USF I have learned much about my own biases, and I’ve come to realize how present misogyny has been in my life and how much I believe that was influenced by my cultural upbringing in Brazil. I acknowledge that I’ve held men and women to different standards in sexual relationships. I’d like to say I’m a much different person than I was 2 years ago, and I have more to overcome.
While I recognize my past biases and mistakes and believe I have grown and still am learning from past experiences, I am choosing to withdraw my candidacy for Student Body President because I understand the detriments of misogyny and my role in fostering that culture. It’s unfortunate that this is where my leadership journey ends here at USF, but I do hope to continue to do better and be a positive influence. I still believe in everything my campaign stood for and I hope it’s a reflection of the person I’ve grown to be. I hope this makes way for progressive leadership and sets the standard for accountability.
Sincerely,
Gustavo Spangher
‘Take actions that align with my values and my character.’
The following is the statement issued by Debesay.
To the USF Student Body,
I am writing to you all as I am formally resigning as a Student Body Vice President candidate. This is by far one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make, but after taking the time to truly process everything, it is of the best interest of the student body, and of myself, to no longer run.
It is important for me to know that there is integrity behind all that I do. Thus, in light of recent events, it does not resonate well with me to knowingly run alongside a candidate that has hurt various people on campus. The views expressed of my running mate are no in any way representative of myself, which is why I am making the decision to no longer be publicly associated. As a student, as a woman, as a human being, I could not move forward with this.
Furthermore, I want you all to know that I meant every word that I have said during this campaign process thus far. My passion for our university did not all of a sudden disappear as a result of this decision; I have, and will continue, to do what I can to further develop the student life experience at USF, for all students. Every initiative on our platform I support whole-heartedly, and I hope that the upcoming Student Body President and Vice President that the student body votes for has the necessary passion and work ethic to take action and represent ALL students on this campus, regardless of campus affiliation. And that they do so with integrity.
Thank you for those of you who believed in me. To those who have showed support, through every like, comment, reshare, message, it has truly meant the world to me. I could not have made it this far without any of you.
It is of greatest importance to me that I take actions that align with my values and my character.
Yovela Debesay.
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” – Helen Keller
‘This is my truth…’
The following is the content of a letter written by Spangher’s ex-girlfriend, Paige Walsh.
To the USF Community:
This is not something I ever wanted to do. I am not the type of person who intentionally seeks to harm others or ask for attention, but at this point, I fear remaining silent is being complicit and protecting someone who is nothing but a danger to the women at USF. While I’m set to graduate in a few short months, I feel the last bit of service I can be to this campus is sharing my truth.
Gustavo Spangher has been the topic of discussion for about a year now, as countless allegations and stories have been released about him. As his ex-girlfriend, I feel that my experiences with him should be heard, because he truly is not the man he appears to be. I dated Gustavo for only 6 months from Spring to Fall of 2019, and it was during our employment at the Office of Orientation. For those of you who don’t know, the summer job is one in which the employees all train together, live in the same building together, eat meals together, and work together.
Relationship building was heavily encouraged, and it wasn’t long after meeting him that I fell for him – hard. I saw what almost anyone sees upon first meeting him: a handsome, charismatic man who lit up the whole room when he walked in. He knew the right things to say and the right times to say them, he was intelligent and ambitious, and I looked at him and saw a man I thought my equal. I had loved him before too long, and that was one of the greatest mistakes I made.
Things started out perfectly, or maybe they didn’t. When you’re spending so much time with someone, it becomes incredibly difficult to see the forest for the trees, and love blinds you from red flags. This relationship ended up being one of the most mentally and emotionally damaging experiences I’ve ever went through. Once the curtain was pulled back, and I witnessed him behind closed doors, that good guy façade fell through. At his core, and for all his faults I could name, I want to emphasize that Gustavo is a misogynist, and I feel that trait explains many of his negative interactions with women, as well as his male friend’s inability to see his flaws. While I admit I don’t owe anyone the intimate details of my story, I fear that refusing to tell them will only protect him.
Gustavo was controlling, and he adamantly disliked whenever I pushed back at him in any way. During a team meeting while we were OLs, the team was having a conflict and many people were fighting loudly and irrationally. I had made an effort to take control of the room, and by doing so, I silenced Gustavo in front of the group in efforts to refocus the conversation and work towards being productive. I had made dinner reservations for him and I that evening, but after that meeting ended, he refused to speak to me. Two days of silence later, he called me to his room and gave me an ultimatum. He said that the way I had treated him in front of the group (the only two words I said to him were: Sit down) was derogatory and disrespectful, and that the people he talked to about the incident all agreed that he should break up with me. He didn’t do that, but told me I was to never speak to him like that again or he’d end things immediately. I wasn’t okay with that, and worked to come to a resolution in which our relationship wasn’t a ‘three strikes, you’re out’ situation, but it was horrifying for me to listen to a man feel so threatened by me that I couldn’t tell him to sit down without him having his ego insulted.
Gustavo was jealous and controlling. When visiting home that summer, I had gone to the beach with one of my guy friends who I hadn’t seen in a long time. We were both in relationships, and we had never been romantically involved before. When I was in the car ride home from the beach, Gustavo Facetimed me and I introduced him to my friend. He immediately hung up the call. When I got home, I tried to talk to him, but he was so angry with me. He had called me a liar and said it was unacceptable that I had hung out with a friend without telling him about it. He said I was trying to lie and cover it up which meant it was a romantic trip, and because him and I had gone to the beach together before, that me and my friend were on a ‘date’. He was irrationally angry for days and we fought at length about it, all because he felt threatened that I had male friends and that I didn’t ask permission from him to hang out with them.
This last story is one of the hardest for me to share about him, but one I think highlights my fears about him the most. Months into our relationship, we had a conversation about one night we went out to a bar before we were dating. Because we were not romantically involved in any way at that time, I left the bar and spent the night with someone else. I found out the next day that Gustavo was interested in me, and I didn’t speak to the other guy again in efforts to pursue Gustavo. Months later, when discussing that night, Gustavo said that I lied about that evening and told him that I was ‘just friends’ with the other guy when he asked me about it. While at risk of opening myself up to more scrutiny, I’ve attached screenshots at the bottom just so this information can’t be contorted or debated.
Gustavo claimed I should have told him exactly what had happened (mind you – I was not even talking to him in a romantic way, but he believed he was entitled to ‘the truth’). He said he was “relieved, thinking I was different than the sorority stereotype of girls that just hook up with a bunch of frat guys” (Screenshot 1). He thought I was unfaithful to him and never should have been involved with another man if I liked him (Screenshot 2). He told me he “wouldn’t want to be with someone that has fucked every single frat guy on campus,” and “Sorry if that’s the patriarchy but most frat guys are idiots and if it were true that you did that I would lose a lot of respect and admiration I had for you.” (Screenshot 4) He said that the situation is “just gross, and ruined one of the first memories I have with you” (Screenshot 5) He told me that dating me was one of his biggest fears because I was in a sorority but that I was “different from the stereotype” because I “have a personality, and I’m smart and kind” as if women in Greek life aren’t those things. He then said “a lot of the sorority girls I know are dumb party girls that just care about alcohol and fucking.” (Screenshot 6)
These messages absolutely mortified me. He believes that he is owed an explanation of a woman’s sexual history (Screenshot 3), while simultaneously admitting to often having one-night stands. There is nothing wrong with having many sexual partners, but degrading women for doing the same thing he was doing was where I drew the line. I was disgusted at his reasoning for liking me being that I was ‘different’ than the stereotypes of sorority women – which are widely known to be untrue anyways. He not only was insulting me with that, he was insulting an entire community of women he didn’t even know. He shouldn’t be holding ideals of purity associated with a woman’s sexual expression, but even more so, shouldn’t be connecting that to an organization that he perpetuates stereotypes about. This is ultimately the moment I realized that he suffers from deeply rooted, dangerous misogyny, and although I ended up leaving my Greek organization, I am fearful for the women that he’s come into contact with that he has projected these harmful beliefs onto. Seeing a man like him pledge to be an IFC fraternity brother of Beta Theta Pi less than a year after this interaction made me scared for the women I knew he would come into contact with. This is why I believe every single story that has been released about him – no matter how ‘serious’ it is. Gustavo Spangher is a misogynist. He clings to dangerous stereotypes that he uses to feel morally superior and uphold rape culture. Seeing a man like this hold one of the highest offices in Student Government has been horrifying.
I wish I didn’t have to do this, but I truly cannot stand listening to people speak so disrespectfully of the other women who have fell victim to him who were brave enough to speak out. For those of you who know me, you know I carry myself with pride and independence, and am quick to speak up for what I believe in. Love was strong enough to make me see past his flaws, but seeing them for what they are now, they are unforgivable. I allowed this man to degrade me, look down on me, and disrespect me. The only good thing he ever did was ending our relationship Fall of 2019, and I am so thankful I got the chance to heal and move forward, but my pain surrounding that time period is something that I don’t think I’ll ever truly get over. So, to speak directly to every single person who’s seen the stories, heard the whispers, seen the anonymous posts and thought, “This doesn’t sound like the Gustavo I know. These women are probably dramatic or lying. He’s a nice guy, he would never do that.” This message is for you. Those thoughts are internalizations of rape culture, and they’ve festered on USF’s campus as they do so many other college campuses. While I’m not overthrowing the patriarchy with this one letter, I hope this pushes forward the notion that we need to spend less time protecting those who have been accused and more time on creating a culture in which people can share their stories freely and openly, without risk of being attacked.
I don’t know any of the women who are coming forward about Gustavo right now. As you can see, I was never physically or sexually harmed by him, but that does not mean that I don’t bear the weight of the trauma that he inflicted on me every single day. I have to relive it every time I see him pop up somewhere. Every time I see someone I love or respect advocate for him, campaign for him, or uplift him in any way, it rips my stomach into shreds. I considered transferring universities last spring when I found out he was running for Vice President last spring, as I believed that any institution that would raise a man of no character to a position of power was not an institution I was safe in. But I stayed, and I hope that wasn’t to no avail. To anyone who has been harmed by him, know that I believe you, and while our campus and our culture is not supportive of all women, we can still be there for each other. We have to show up for each other right now. Please know I am here to talk and support anyone else who is struggling right now, and I encourage you to speak your truth. This is my truth, and I will not apologize for sharing it. What the world does with it is out of my hands now.
Paige Walsh
