A Massachusetts college professor is facing charges in Minnesota, where he is accused of sexually assaulting four children when he taught at a middle school.
Emerson College said Friday that it had cut ties with Jefferson Fietek, who was hired last year as an assistant professor of theater education.
Fietek, 46, was arrested Thursday morning, according to police in Malden, where he lives. He was arraigned at Malden District Court and will be extradited to Minnesota.
The Anoka County Sheriff's Office says it learned last month of an incident nine years ago in which Fietek, who was a staff member at the Anoka Middle School for the Arts, was accused of sexually assaulting a child.
While authorities were investigating, they learned of allegations against Fietek involving three other children between 2009 and 2019.
All of the victims were under 16 when the alleged abuse began, the sheriff's office said.
Minnesota authorities are charging Fietek with seven counts of criminal sexual conduct — four in the first degree, one in the second degree and two in the third degree. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney
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Emerson College noted that all of the allegations against Fietek occurred before he was employed at the school and that he is no longer a faculty member.
"The College has notified him that the College will not renew his contract, and he will no longer teach at Emerson, now or in the future," the school said in a statement.
