Tim Evans (Left), Bob Scheer (right) answer a student’s question.
Photo credit: Angel Akinleye

Women all across the country have banded together in the #MeToo movement to speak out against sexual assault after the conviction of Dr. Larry Nassar. Thanks to the reporting of Tim Evans and Bob Scheer, the movement has been on the rise.

Evans and Scheer, journalists from the IndyStar, helped spark the conversation about the abuse of athletes in the gymnastics industry. In 2016, the investigative team started researching a story that would become popular on a national and global scale in 2018.

On July 10, 2018, high school students enrolled at the High School Journalism Institute at Indiana University had the opportunity to interview Evans and Scheer.

Evans said during the interview, “I jokingly titled this ‘how a team of investigative reporters from a small newspaper stumbled onto the biggest sex offender scandal in American sports.’”

As the country grows more aware of sexual abuse, spurring from the first reports from the team, the #MeToo movement rises from the Nassar case that has sparked the conversation of sexual abuse and harassment. Since 2006, the #MeToo movement has served to protect women and give them a place to share their stories and experiences.

According to Metoomvmt.org, the movement vision “is also to reframe and expand the global conversation around sexual violence to speak to the needs of a broader spectrum of survivors.”

Evans and his team’s hard-hitting story about Nassar has sparked an uprising from victims all around the country. The story triggers the emotions of many who seek refuge in the #MeToo movement.

Evans talked about his pieces, and the effect through a national scope. He referenced how baffled he was at the #MeToo movement. He said, “ It blew my mind. I’m just a little guy from Indianapolis,” he said.

Both Evans and Scheer and the #MeToo movement strive to give the victims a safe space. A strong platform for the victims acts as a motivation for the movement.

Evans said, “That’s what it’s about, you know, giving a voice for people who don’t have a voice.”