Former Emerson professor arrested on criminal sexual misconduct charges

Fietek held in Middlesex County jail until extradition to Minnesota

By Parker Purifoy and Dylan Rossiter / July 17, 2020

Former Emerson assistant professor Jefferson Fietek was arrested by Malden police Thursday on seven alleged counts of criminal sexual conduct, officials announced Friday.

Fietek, 46, was arrested after the Anoka County Sheriff’s Department in Minnesota received reports he had allegedly sexually assaulted two minors during his time teaching at Anoka Middle School for the Arts, the sheriff’s department said in a statement.

During the investigation, police also identified two additional victims who were juveniles at the time of the alleged assaults, the statement said.

He was arrested by police in Malden, where he lives, around 11 a.m. Thursday and will be held in the Middlesex County jail until he is extradited to Minnesota, Malden Police Capt. Marc Gatcomb told The Beacon.

If convicted of all seven charges, Fietek could face a maximum sentence of up to 175 years in prison, according to court documents.

Jacob Tighe, a former student of Fietek’s at Anoka Middle School for the Arts, told The Beacon Fietek coerced him into a sexual relationship when he was 14 or 15. Tighe also recounted his experience in a widely-shared Facebook post published June 24.

“Jefferson Fietek used me,” the post reads. “He took me as a young man and used his influence over me to get what he wanted most.”

According to Friday’s statement, the college has notified Fietek he will no longer teach at Emerson “now or in the future” and that he is prohibited from being on campus. He originally joined Emerson’s performing arts department in 2019 after resigning from Anoka Middle School for the Arts.

“I’m just glad this was taken seriously and that his victims finally have a voice,” Tighe said in a statement to The Beacon Friday.

There are no known reports of misconduct against Fietek that occurred while he was teaching at the college, Emerson’s statement said.

A spokesperson for Anoka-Hennepin Schools previously told The Beacon Fietek had three existing complaints in his personnel file at the school but that they were not indicative of misconduct.

The investigation is ongoing and in their statement, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Department encouraged victims to contact them at 763-427-1212.

About the Contributors

Parker Purifoy, Emerson '21

Parker served as Managing Editor, News Editor, and Senior Reporter at The Beacon. They graduated from the college with a journalism degree in December 2020. Parker is currently an Associate Reporter with Bloomberg Law. Based in Washington, DC, Parker previously worked for Law360, The Associated Press, and the Boston Globe.

Dylan Rossiter, Emerson '21

Dylan Rossiter is the Director of Advertising and Events for the State House News Service, where he also serves as General Manager for the company's flagship newsletter, MASSterList. He served as The Berkeley Beacon's Operations Managing Editor, overseeing finance, institutional advancement, and newsroom administration from May 2019 to July 2021. He is the only known disabled managing editor in the history of The Beacon. During his first semester at Emerson, Rossiter became Digital Strategist, where he overhauled The Beacon's website and helped transition the organization to a multi-platform daily. He guided The Beacon's digital platforms in that role, helping to triple the newspaper's online audience. Rossiter also helped develop and supervise the launch of The Berkeley Beacon Magazine, podcast unit, subscription service, and donor support program. He also provided editorial support amid breaking news and Irregular operations. While at Emerson, Rossiter worked as an Assignment Editor with NBCUniversal Local. He graduated Emerson in May 2021 with a BS in Journalism.