A former math teacher at Phillips Exeter Academy was arrested Monday on charges of sexual assault, authorities said, alleging he had sex with a student at the prestigious boarding school in New Hampshire from 2013 to 2015.
The student, who has not been named, was a freshman and sophomore when teacher Szczesny Kaminski sexually assaulted them, according to the Rockingham County Attorney's Office and Exeter police.
Kaminski, who is also known as Jerzy Kaminski, was previously investigated by by police in 2016, Phillips Exeter said in a statement. New evidence came to light this year that led to the investigation being reopened and Kaminski's termination as a teacher, though it's not yet clear what that evidence is.
Phillips Exeter said it did not announce that Kaminski was fired at the time at the request of law enforcement, which was investigating whether to bring more serious charges.
"The Academy understands the traumatic impact of sexual abuse, and we are deeply distressed to learn of the suffering the victim endured," the school said in a statement.
It's not immediately clear if Kaminski has an attorney who can speak to the charges. He has a bail hearing at Brentwood Circuit Court Tuesday, authorities said, and is being held on preventative detention.
Exeter police said the school cooperated with their investigation and ask that anyone with information about the assaults contact them.
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
In a letter to the Phillips Exeter community, Principal William Rawson said that members of the community first brought concerns about Kaminski forward in 2016, and the school reported potential boundary violations to police. The case was closed and Kaminski was placed on notice. Then new information prompted police to reopen the case this year.
"We know that the impact of sexual abuse is especially traumatic when a student is harmed by an adult whom they had every reason to believe they could trust," Rawson said. "We recognize and regret the secondary harm this communication will cause for some of our community members, but it is important that our community is aware of this development."
