Georgia Tech professor allegedly shook down students for over $20,000

Up to 10 students have accused Professor Jochen Teizer of forcing them to pay him hundreds of dollars per month.

One student admits to paying more than $10,000 to Teizer in 2011.

A professor at Georgia Institute of Technology has been suspended after allegedly taking more than $20,000 from his graduate students, not all of whom are fluent in English.

As many as 10 students have come forward to accuse Jochen Teizer, an associate professor of construction engineering, of forcing them to pay him up to several hundred dollars a month. The money, which apparently came from mostly Asian graduate students overseen by Teizer, was intended for student stipends.

“The faculty member has been put on leave and the Institute has initiated dismissal proceedings as provided by the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook and Board of Regents Policy,” the university said in a statement provided to Campus Reform. “The Institute is also reimbursing students for any improper payments made to the faculty member.”

According to an internal auditing memo, one student admitted to paying more than $10,000 in cash to the professor in 2011.

The Institute was made aware of the allegations in October but has just made the matter public. In 2013, Teizer received $124,255 in salary.

Via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.