Ex-KC Professor Accused of Sexual Harassment

KILGORE — A Kilgore College professor who resigned in November was being accused of sexual harassment claims, according to an email complaint and text message evidence. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. The complaint and text messages were obtained Tuesday through a public information request sent to Kilgore College spokesman Chris Craddock on Nov. 11. Kilgore College then sent the request to the attorney general’s office for review. William Wells, a professor of history and philosophy, is accused of encouraging a female student to come to his home to drop off a paper, according to the email complaint.

The complaint, which has the sender’s name redacted on request of the attorney general’s office, was sent Nov. 6 to Kilgore College officials Bill Holda, then president; Tony Johnson, director of human resources; and Mike Jenkins, vice president of student development. When the student arrived at his home, the complaint said, Wells told her “she was very attractive and that he wanted to give her a massage which would relieve ‘his’ stress.” The complaint states the student tried to let Wells know that she did not want a massage, and Wells told her he would give her an A in his class if she would allow him to massage her.

It is unclear from the complaint and some text messages whether Wells gave the student a massage at his home. Wells again asked the student to come to his home the following Saturday and the student refused, stating the she would be working, the complaint said the complainant expressed concern Wells might retaliate against the student by giving her a poor grade.

A text message from the student reads, “This is (name redacted) again. I got to your office right at 12 and I missed you by a minute. I’ve been having problems turning in my essay. … I’ll leave a hard copy in the student essay slot and email you my essay as soon as I get internet connection. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do, I’ll drop it of anywhere, put it in your mailbox, anything!” A text response from a contact with the name of William Wells reads: “Might have to bring a copy to my place Lol.”

Johnson emailed a response to the complaint on Nov. 6, the day the complaint was received: “(Redacted information) so sorry to hear that this has happened. Yes, I will need to see her first thing Monday morning so I can talk with her and get all the details. Again please let your (redacted information) know that we will look into this and that she is not to worry about retaliation from her instructor.” Wells resigned Nov. 9, Craddock said in November.

The public information request was submitted to the college Nov. 11 after officials denied releasing further information about Wells’ resignation. The information request asked that the school release any complaints and investigative materials generated thereafter naming Wells. Kilgore College officials gave notice Nov. 18 that the college had submitted the request to the Texas attorney general for review, arguing that the complaint should be exempt because information therein was considered to be confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory or by judicial decision. The Texas attorney general ruled Feb. 2 that the college release a redacted copy of the records, and a redacted copy of the complaint was received Tuesday.