Professor accused of sexual assault

82-year-old says sex was voluntary By Paul Brooks and Jeremiah Horrigan pbrooks@th-record.com jhorrigan@th-record.com New Paltz – An 82-year-old SUNY New Paltz English professor has resigned in the wake of criminal charges that he sexually abused and assaulted a female student. But Professor Wade C. Thompson says the sex was voluntary. "She much enjoyed her part," Thompson said in a telephone interview yesterday. "When she left, she left a very happy girl." New Paltz police arrested Thompson on one count of second-degree assault, a felony, and one count of third-degree sexual abuse, a misdemeanor. The female student told police the incident happened at Thompson's home on North Oakwood Terrace the morning of April 19. She said that Thompson subjected her to unwanted sexual contact and repeatedly struck her with a blunt object, which resulted in physical injuries, police said. Police did not release the name of the victim. Authorities could not be reached last night for further details of her account. Thompson declined to give the woman's name but disputed the police's version of the events. "Whatever happened was voluntary on her part," he said. "The sea change in her attitude came later. I couldn't help that. She apparently had remorse, so she is blaming me." The 41-year-old woman, a senior at the college, had pursued him for some time, including the three semesters he had her as a student, Thompson said. She had given him books, flowers and candy.

Full Story: http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2005/04/27/prof.htm