Faculty members were counseling Bryan Kohberger after a verbal altercation between the teacher’s assistant and the professor he worked for in the school’s criminology program while also probing his conduct with female students.
An investigation into how murder suspect Bryan Kohberger treated women was underway well before he allegedly killed four University of Idaho students.
Faculty members at Washington State University were counseling Kohberger after the teacher's assistant allegedly got into a verbal altercation with a professor he worked for in the school’s criminology program, NewsNation and The New York Times reported. The faculty was also probing his conduct with students after allegations of off-putting behavior were made by some of the women in his class, the news outlets reported.
But following that counseling, Kohberger allegedly had a second incident with the same professor in early December and he lost his job as a teaching assistant.
In addition to the professional blow, Kohberger took a huge financial hit when he lost his job.
Teaching assistants in the criminology program at WSU “receive a specified stipend each month, health insurance benefits, and an in-state tuition waiver. Out-of-state tuition is waived the first year until the student establishes residency," the university notes on its website.
Kohberger had already started the process of becoming a resident of the state by obtaining a Washington driver's license as well as registering his car, as is recommended by the college.
He also registered to vote in the state.
It is unclear if Kohberger had made the decision to leave WSU's criminology program before he drove back home to Pennsylvania on Dec.13, but search warrants executed at Kohberger's on-campus residence and office both turned up little in the way of evidence, according to authorities.
Inside Edition Digital obtained a copy of the termination letter sent to Kohberger, which outlined his alleged offenses.
"On September 23rd, 2022, you had an altercation with the faculty you support as a TA, Professor [John] Snyder. I met with you on October 3rd to discuss norms of professional behavior," the letter reads.
"On October 21st, Professor Snyder emailed you about the ways in which you had failed to meet your expectations as a TA thus far in the semester," it continues. "As a result, on November 2nd, Graduate Director [Dale] Willits and I met with you to discuss an improvement plan, which you agreed to and I shared with you in an email dated November 3rd."
Kohberger met with faculty including the professor with whom he allegedly had conflicts and the graduate director on Dec. 7 to discuss his progress in regards to the improvement plan previously discussed. "While not perfect, we agreed that there was progress," the letter reads.
But then, "On December 9th, there was another altercation with Professor Snyder, in which it became apparent that you had not made progress regarding professionalism and about which I wrote to you on December 11th requesting a meeting," the letter reads. "We met on December 19th when I informed you of your termination as a TA for spring semester."
Kohberger’s termination came after he arrived home following a cross-country drive with his father from Washington to Pennsylvania.
Administrators probed the allegations made by Kohberger’s female students, including that he once followed a young woman to her car, but found no evidence of wrongdoing, the Times reported.
WSU declined to comment on the investigation or Kohberger’s termination, citing privacy laws that prohibit them from speaking publicly about students and alumni.
Officials did confirm that Kohberger is no longer a student at the university.
Kohberger is spending his days close of the school at the Latah County Detention Center, where he is being held without bail ahead of his preliminary hearing in June.
He is facing four counts of first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20.
Kohberger told the Pennsylvania public defender initially assigned to his case that he was innocent and expected to be exonerated at trial.
