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October 01, 2008, 04:10 PM ET
Professor Accused of Hacking Into E-Mail Account of Student He Had an Affair With
A business professor has been charged in federal court with illegally intercepting the e-mail messages of a student he was having a romantic relationship with at the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, according to an article in The St. Paul Pioneer Press.
The professor, Stephan Grzeskowiak, taught at St. Thomas at the time, but he is now a visiting professor at the College of William and Mary. FBI officials reportedly pulled him out of class there last week to arrest him. He pleaded not guilty in a court appearance on Tuesday.
A grand jury in Madison, Wis., indicted Mr. Grzeskowiak for hacking into the student’s e-mail account while he was teaching at St. Thomas, according to media reports. The Pioneer Press identifies the former student as Kelly Koster, and says that the professor tricked her into opening an e-mail attachment that installed software on her computer allowing him to see her e-mail.
In addition to the criminal charges, the student filed a civil lawsuit against Mr. Grzeskowiak and against the University of St. Thomas. An attorney for Ms. Koster could not be reached by The Chronicle for comment. The civil suit says the student and professor had an intimate relationship for eight months until she attempted to break it off.
Officials at William and Mary have temporarily relieved Mr. Grzeskowiak of his teaching duties while they investigate the matter, says Brian Whitson, a college spokesman. Mr. Grzeskowiak taught a graduate-level marketing class at William and Mary’s Peninsula Center, in Newport News, Va. —Jeffrey R. Young
Categories: Legal-Troubles
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