University of St. Thomas officer fired amid sexual misconduct allegations

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- University of St. Thomas has fired one of its police officers amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

University officials have been busy conducting an internal investigation on these allegations since they surfaced a few days ago. The officer was fired Friday, and all evidence turned over to Houston police.

HPD has confirmed the investigation, but no charges have been filed.

Below is the statement issued by the university:

"A police officer employed by the University of St. Thomas was terminated today for alleged inappropriate conduct while on duty. The university acted promptly on the matter. It aggressively investigated the incident, suspended the officer and took away his badge and ID prior to termination. The university has asked an outside police agency to further investigate the matter. The conduct in question relates to a female. The male officer drove the female to her home following a police stop. The alleged conduct occurred several miles from the university campus and outside the university's patrol district. During the UST Police Department's investigation, the female claimed that nonconsensual sexually-related acts occurred with the officer. The university has reached out to her to express its concern. We honor her dignity as a human person and, if she were harmed in any way, we hope for a speedy recovery. No one should be subject to unwanted advances. The university expects all its employees to act appropriately in all matters, especially our police department that we trust to keep our campus community safe. The University Chief of Police conducts regular sexual harassment training with all officers. The former officer was screened and subject to background checks prior to employment."