A university professor who was dismissed for giving the highest grade even though a student did not submit a class assignment is under police investigation.
Anyang Manan Police Station in Gyeonggi Province said on the 22nd that it booked and is investigating former professor A at a private university in South Chungcheong Province on suspicion of obstruction of business.
Earlier, the university filed a complaint with police, saying A manipulated the grade of a specific student, B, and interfered with academic administration. Considering jurisdiction over the residence, the case was transferred in Oct. last year from Yongin Seobu Police Station to Anyang Manan Police Station.
A is suspected of interfering with academic affairs by giving B, a student in a class in the first semester of 2024, the highest grade of A+ even though B did not submit a completed assignment by the deadline.
In the second semester of the same year, allegations also arose that A maintained an inappropriate relationship, including continuing private meetings with B.
The university convened a disciplinary committee and dismissed A in Sept. last year after the allegations became known on campus through posters and other means.
The dismissal decision reportedly included circumstances showing that shortly before the assignment deadline A sent B the message, "Honey, 8 minutes left," and, after B checked the grade and asked, "I haven't submitted it yet, so why is it A+?," A replied, "Today is the deadline for entering grades, so it couldn't be helped. And this is absolutely a secret, okay?"
However, A denies some of the allegations and is said to have filed an appeal with the Ministry of Education Teachers' Appeals Committee, challenging the dismissal.