Sylvester Oliver, Rust College Professor, Accused Of Rape By Student

A professor at Rust College in Mississippi who was recently named "Teacher of the Year" has been accused of rape by a student who went to his office for counseling about financial aid.

According to the Associated Press, Sylvester Oliver, 62, has been arrested and charged with sexual battery for an incident that allegedly occurred in September. He has resigned his position as head of the Humanities department at the liberal arts college.

Since Oliver was arrested, another allegation of misconduct has come to light: WREG uncovered a 2006 accusation that Oliver sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl at a high school where he was previously employed.

Rust College students were understandably upset and confused that Oliver was allowed to remain at the college after such an allegation.

"They should know who to hire, who not to hire, they should always do a background check," student Zavier Williams told WREG.

But it may not merely have been incompetence that led the school to ignore Oliver's alleged crimes. A former professor at the school told WREG that the administration knew of Oliver's alleged behaviors for years but did nothing to stop them.

“The student sexual abuse on Rust College campus is ridiculous,” the former professor, who did not wish to be identified, told WREG. When asked about how far the up the corruption could have gone, she told the outlet, "I dare not say, I don't think there is a limit to it."