Higher School of Economics begins investigating sexual abuse allegations against university high school teacher

The Higher School of Economics, Russia’s most prominent university specializing in the humanities and social sciences, has begun investigating the behavior of literature instructor Alexander Kuznetsov, who teaches at the HSE’s lyceum. The news and culture outlet Snob reported that Kuznetsov has been accused of sexually abusing teenage girls at schools where he previously worked.

The HSE’s investigation followed a series of Facebook posts by Olga Starkova, who said that in 1996, when she was a 15-year-old ninth grader, she and Kuznetsov had a “non-platonic” relationship while he was teaching at her school. “There was so much humiliation, so many threats, and so much blackmail on his side,” Starkova wrote. “One year later, he abused another 15-year-old girl. And then another, and another,” she continued.

After Starkova went public with her account, another former student told Otkrytie Media under conditions of anonymity that Kuznetsov also abused her. Yet another former student said the teacher had been in a relationship with a female first-year student at the International Independent Ecological-Political University in 2004 and 2005.

Kuznetsov has worked at the HSE Lyceum since 2015. University officials said he has not yet been reported for sexual harassment or abuse during that time. Kuznetsov has not commented on the accusations, and his social media pages appear to have been shut down.