According to a police report, Keith Markman, 48, also forced entry into the home of his former girlfriend.
An Ohio University psychology professor was arrested Monday morning and charged with aggravated burglary and assault toward an OU student, according to a report from the Lancaster Police Department.
Keith Markman, 48, of Bexley was arrested after he allegedly entered a residence with force and assaulted a woman, 33, described as his former girlfriend.
Markman, who is set to earn $85,593 this academic year according to a public records request, has been put on paid administrative leave until further notice, OU Spokesman Dan Pittman said.
Markman is an associate professor and director of experimental training at OU according to the university’s website. His research concentrations are social judgement and behavioral decision making.
Markman has worked at OU since 2001 and taught one course this semester at the Athens campus. That course will now be covered by other faculty members, Pittman said.
The woman listed in the report is a current student at OU, Pittman said. He said FERPA regulations does not permit the university to disclose whether the woman was a student of Markman’s.
Police were called to the Lancaster residence April 4 at about 12:45 a.m. after a neighbor said she witnessed a man and woman having an argument in front of a house across the street, according to the police report. She also told police she saw the man strike the woman in the face “with a closed fist” before the pair moved their argument indoors.
Once at the scene, police noted hearing an argument from outside the residence before knocking on the door. They questioned Markman, the woman and another man who was at the home, according to the report.
Markman and the woman, who both admitted to having a previous relationship, denied that a physical altercation occurred, but said they did have an argument. The woman said Markman came to the residence because he was upset about his divorce from his wife.
The other man said Markman “surprisingly” came to the residence, according to the report, and forced the front door open. He told police the woman said she had been hit by Markman and that he also witnessed Markman shove her into a back bedroom where he believes she was struck again.
Markman denied assaulting the woman, but admitted he forced entry into the residence.
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According to the report, the woman was listed with “apparent minor injury.”
Markman was arrested by the responding officers and taken to the Lancaster Police Department for processing. He was later taken to the Fairfield County Jail where he was charged with aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony, and assault, a first-degree misdemeanor.
The same day, he was arraigned at the Fairfield County Municipal Court where he pleaded not guilty and posted more than $3,000 bond out of a total of $30,000. His preliminary hearing is April 14 at 2 p.m.
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