UWM Professor Accused of Sexual Assault of Student on Campus

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Professor Anthony Azenabor is facing allegations of sexually assaulting a PhD student under his supervision in the basement of Enderis Hall on campus.

The accuser “stated that her former professor, who she identified as Anthony Azenabor, the above-named Defendant, engaged in non-consensual sexual contact and sexual intercourse with her during the time he was her assigned PhD program adviser,” a newly filed criminal complaint says.

The complaint graphically details one alleged assault in May 2018 in with the student alleges Azenabor “requested her to bring a piece of equipment for their research to a lab in the basement of Enderis Hall.” She described the area as a windowless locked lab, and alleges the defendant “pushed her in to a sitting position on a bench by forcefully using his left hand to push the center of her chest” and then sexually assaulted her. The accuser is only identified by initials in the complaint.

Both the UWM Police Department and Office of Equity and Diversity declined to speak with a Media Milwaukee reporter regarding the allegations. Michelle Johnson, a representative for University Relations, declined to answer some of Media Milwaukee’s questions and advised the student journalist to submit an open records request for such information as when the university first learned of the allegations.

She did say that Azenabor started working at UWM in 2001, and that he last taught classes in November 2018.

“The charges against Prof. Azenabor are very serious. UWM police have been working closely with the district attorney’s office on the criminal complaint,” said a statement released by the university, “UWM is committed to maintaining a safe environment for all of our students.”

A preliminary hearing has been set for March 13 at 8:30 a.m. Azenabor, charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of fourth-degree sexual assault, is being held at the Milwaukee County Jail on a $7,500 cash bond. According to the statement released by UWM, Azenabor is barred from teaching classes or having any contact with students.

The accusations allegedly occurred during a time frame in which UWM was in the news over sexual assault and sexual harassment allegations against employees. In late 2017, Media Milwaukee obtained, through an open records request, a chart showing that at least 37 professors and other staff members at UWM were accused in complaints filed with the university of sexual harassment or assault since 2013. The university did not release the full complaints in closed investigations until summer 2018, many months after students first requested them in November 2017. In some cases, the Equity and Diversity office investigator and the provost disagreed sharply over the conclusions. The university redacted documents involving people not found guilty by the provost.

The three alleged assaults occurred between March and May of 2018, according to the criminal complaint filed by the State of Wisconsin which details the alleged assault against one of Azenabor’s two accusers (the complaint only charges accusations involving one of them but mentions the second). Azenabor was the assigned as PhD program advisor to the accuser, and met regularly with her to discuss required research.

The accuser stated that Azenabor overstepped the bounds of their academic relationship, which began in 2016, by insisting on walking her to her car regularly, the complaint alleged. Azenabor emphasized his role in helping the accuser obtain her PhD. In the criminal complaint, Azenabor was accuses of reportedly asking the first student sexually explicit questions, which she initially believed related to their studies on sexually transmitted disease. The accused allegedly reported that Azenabor asked her if she liked rough sex.

The accuser states that the relationship took a physical turn in September of 2017, when Azenabor began tickling, pinching, and hugging the victim, according to the complaint. The complaint says Azenabor defended this behavior as normal, stating he had done it with his sisters in his native country, Nigeria. The accuser claims that Azenabor would, on occasion, grab her by the hips and attempt to pull her into his lap. In October of 2017, the accuser states that Azenabor pushed his erect penis up against her back, the complaint alleges. The unwanted physical contacted escalated in March of 2018 when Azenabor attempted to kiss the accuser and ended up biting her lip, says the complaint. Following the attempted kiss, the accuser states that Azenabor forced her into his lap and began to rub her genitalia over her clothes without her consent, the complaint says.

The complaint further alleges: The first count of second-degree sexual assault is alleged to have happened mid-March of 2018 when Azenabor pulled the accuser, who was standing, by her arm into his lap. The accuser states that she struggled to stand up but was unsuccessful. Azenabor then forced his right hand under the victim’s legging-style pants and into her underwear and digitally assaulted her. The victim was eventually able to free herself and flee. As she was leaving, she quotes Azenabor saying not to “spread lies” about him, says the complaint.

The first count of fourth degree sexual assault occurred at the end of a meeting between the two in April of 2018, the complaint alleges. It says:

The accuser states she was turning to leave Azenabor’s office when he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her torso. Azenabor attempted to lift the accuser’s shirt, but she resisted. Azenabor then reached his hands under her shirt and lifted her bra to expose her breasts and grab them without the accuser’s consent. The accuser states it was at this time she asked Azenabor why he was doing this, to which he responded, “you’re the person I’m in love with, I love you,” alleges the complaint.

The second count of second degree sexual assault occurred in May of 2018 after Azenabor requested that the accuser bring him a piece of equipment to a research lab in the basement of Enderis Hall, the complaint says. The accuser describes the lab as being locked, with no windows. Azenabor unlocked the lab using a key, and once inside forced the accuser into a sitting position on a bench in the room, the complaint alleges. The accuser states that Azenabor then forced his right hand down her pants to digitally assault her, pulled down her pants, and allegedly raped her, the complaint alleges.