Washington University (St. Louis) chemistry professor charged with fourth-degree assault for 2024 accusations
Via Student Life, the newspaper of Washington University, this news:
Associate Professor of Chemistry Jonathan Barnes was removed from teaching after multiple female students accused Barnes of inappropriate touching during private meetings with him in the fall of 2024. Anonymous allegations against Barnes were initially publicized in a post by MeToo WashU, an Instagram account raising awareness about sexual violence on campus.
Over a year later, Barnes faces three class C misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree assault referred by the Washington University Police Department (WUPD) to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. A trial date for the case has not yet been set, and the maximum sentences on each charge are 15 days in jail and a $750 fine.
The filing describes the experiences of two anonymous female students in October 2024 who attended one-on-one office hours for the organic chemistry course he taught. Barnes’ alleged contact includes touching their shoulders and lower backs, as well as placing his hand and cell phone on the thigh of one student.
These descriptions are similar to the experiences four female students recounted to Student Life in November of 2024.
The charges were referred to the prosecutor’s office by Jeri Hokamp, a WUPD officer. Hokamp’s statement alleges that Barnes poses “danger” to the community and that WUPD believed at the time of the filing Barnes planned to move to Texas.
Barnes’ attorney, Christopher Combs, denied all misconduct allegations and alleged that one of Barnes’ complainants stated she did not believe a crime had occurred.
The charges were filed in October 2025. The Student Life article was published on January 15, 2026. Read the whole article here.