Josh Falcone – News Editor
Last Oct. 8, a university English 110 class, watched as their instructor William Friskey was escorted from the classroom by some of his peers. Friskey had been charged on June 30 with having sexually assaulted a 17-year-old Ledyard High School student, where he had taught. The New Haven Register reported in a Dec. 21 article that Friskey had been allowed to teach at the university before the results of his background check had been received.
According to Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Board of Regents policy, potential employees cannot begin to work until all the proper screenings have been completed.
Friskey started to teach the creative writing class on Sept. 22 and the university did not receive his background check results until Oct. 7, the New Haven Register article reports.
State Board of Regents in Higher Education spokesperson Mike Kozlowski stated to the New Haven Register that the board was content with the university’s prompt and just response to Friskey’s negative background check, and any further investigation into the issue will be up to the university’s discretion.
The university’s human resource department made the fact that Friskey was not allowed to be teaching before the results of his background check were received clear to school officials according to the New Haven Register, who obtained email exchanges between various university departments through a Freedom of Information request.
Friskey pleaded guilty to the charge of felony second-degree sexual assault on Dec. 12 as part of a plea agreement, according to the Day of New London, and will be sentenced to two years in prison, with nine months minimum mandatory to be served, in addition to being on sex offender probation for 15 years, and being required to register as a sex offender. Friskey will be sentenced in New London Superior Court on Feb 25.
Friskey carried on a sexual relationship with a former student of his, though the victim was of consenting age, it is illegal for high school employees to have a sexual relationship with students.
The relationship between Friskey and his former student began when they started emailing each other out of the classroom, according to the Day of New London, and became physical in Sept. 2013 when the victim began visiting Friskey’s classroom during lunch and after school, where the two were alone and behind a closed door. According to the Day of New London, the victim began to visit Friskey at his home in Old Lyme soon after.