ESPN LISTEN Documentary Screenings Bring Campus Communities Together Across Utah and Beyond

Since its release, ESPN’s award-winning documentary LISTEN has become an important educational resource for colleges, universities, law enforcement agencies, and communities working to improve the response to relationship violence and stalking.

Directed by award-winning investigative journalist Nicole Noren, LISTEN examines the circumstances surrounding Lauren McCluskey’s 2018 murder and the institutional failures that preceded it. The documentary explores Lauren’s experiences seeking help, the warning signs that emerged, and the opportunities institutions and individuals had to respond differently. The film has now been viewed more than 6 million times on YouTube and is being used by schools and law enforcement agencies across the country as a training and educational tool.

For the Lauren McCluskey Foundation, screenings are about more than simply showing the film. Working with host institutions, the Foundation encourages campuses to bring together students, faculty, administrators, law enforcement, victim advocates, and campus resources for conversations about what can be learned from Lauren’s story and what can be done differently today. Panels following the screenings give students an opportunity to ask questions while helping connect them directly with the people and resources responsible for supporting them on their own campuses.

In Utah, that work expanded significantly in 2026 through a grant from Miller Family Philanthropy supporting Screenings and Engagement at Utah Colleges and Universities. The initiative has been led by the Foundation’s Director of Community and University Relations, Linda Mittelhammer, who has worked directly with colleges and universities throughout the state to organize screenings and accompanying educational programming.

Salt Lake Community College Builds a Campus-wide Conversation Around LISTEN Screening

On October 29th, 2026, Salt Lake Community College hosted its own screening of the documentary. The screening at the college’s Redwood-Taylorsville Campus was organized through the Dean of Students area and was intentionally built as both an educational event and an opportunity to connect students with those responsible for supporting their safety and well-being. The program began with a screening of LISTEN in the Oak Room of the Dr. Deneece G. Huftalin Student Center and was followed by a panel discussion and student questions.

Jill McCluskey, Lauren’s mother and co-founder and Chair of the Lauren McCluskey Foundation, traveled to Salt Lake City to participate in person. She was joined on the panel by Candida Mumford, Dean of Students and Associate Vice President at SLCC; Cindy Cole, SLCC Director of Employee Relations and Title IX Coordinator; Steve Winward, Lieutenant with the Utah Highway Patrol; and Shane Crabtree, SLCC Associate Vice President of Public Safety.

That combination of voices was an important part of the program. Rather than ending when the documentary credits rolled, the screening provided an opportunity to ask what colleges can do within their own areas of responsibility to prevent the types of failures documented in LISTEN.

The discussion gave students the opportunity to hear directly from the people responsible for many of the systems and resources they would turn to if they needed help. Panelists reflected on lessons from Lauren’s case, the changes that have been made since her death, and the work that still remains to ensure students are heard and supported when they report concerning or threatening behavior.

The Lauren McCluskey Foundation is grateful to Salt Lake Community College for organizing and supporting the event and for bringing together leaders from across the college and public safety community. The screening demonstrated the value of pairing LISTEN with open conversation and gave students an opportunity to engage directly with the people working to make their campus safer.

Expanding LISTEN Screenings Across Utah Campuses

The Salt Lake Community College event was part of a larger effort to bring LISTEN to students and campus communities across Utah. With support from a grant from Miller Family Philanthropy, the Lauren McCluskey Foundation expanded the screening program to colleges and universities across the state. Led by Linda Mittelhammer, the effort has included screenings at the University of Utah, Utah Valley University, Westminster University, and Salt Lake Community College, along with outreach to additional Utah schools.

At the University of Utah, the Beta Nu chapter of Alpha Chi Omega hosted one of the largest screenings of the fall. Organized by student leader Kenzy Higgins, the event brought together more than 450 attendees to learn about Lauren’s story and continue conversations around relationship violence, stalking, campus safety, and how students are supported when they ask for help.

Many of the screenings were held during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, giving campuses an opportunity to incorporate LISTEN into their existing education and awareness efforts. Through the grant, the Foundation helped support screening expenses and worked with campus partners to organize discussions and panels that brought together students, university leaders, campus resources, law enforcement, and other community partners.

The response has been tremendous. More than 1000 people attended LISTEN screening events during a month-and-a-half period this fall, expanding the reach of Lauren’s story and creating opportunities for campus communities to have important conversations about how we can better listen to, believe, and support people who come forward for help.

A Program That Continues To Grow

While the Miller Family Philanthropy grant has created an important opportunity to expand LISTEN programming throughout Utah, screenings have become a broader part of the Lauren McCluskey Foundation’s campus safety work.

Earlier this year, LISTEN was screened in Pullman in partnership with WSU Campus Police, WSU Residence Life, the Student Entertainment Board, and ASWSU. The screening was followed by a panel discussion featuring Jill McCluskey and leaders from the university and public safety community, continuing a growing effort to bring the documentary and its lessons directly to college campuses.

The success of the screenings this year has helped significantly progress our overall effort to improve the response to relationship violence and stalking on college campuses. We are incredibly grateful to Miller Family Philanthropy for supporting the expansion of LISTEN across Utah, to Linda Mittelhammer for leading the program, and to the colleges, universities, students, faculty, staff, and community partners who have helped make these events possible.

As more groups look for opportunities to host LISTEN, the Foundation looks forward to building on this year’s success and bringing the documentary to even more communities in the months and years ahead. If interested in hosting a screening please contact Linda Mittelhammer through our Contact Form.