Jonathan Hasford is charged with aggravated domestic assault after allegedly choking his girlfriend during an argument
Credit: Knox County Jail
NEED TO KNOW
- Jonathan Hasford was charged with aggravated domestic assault after allegedly choking his girlfriend during an argument
- Responding officers observed minor injuries on the woman, including a red mark on her throat and an abrasion on her chin
- Hasford, a University of Tennessee associate professor, has been placed on paid leave and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for May
A University of Tennessee associate professor has been placed on paid administrative leave after he allegedly physically assaulted his girlfriend.
On March 17, the Knoxville Police Department responded to a home on Pinellas Drive, where they learned that Jonathan Hasford, 41, had allegedly assaulted his girlfriend and fled the scene, according to WVLT.
The incident followed an argument between Hasford and his girlfriend at the Knoxville home, during which he had been drinking, WBIR reported. During the altercation, the woman allegedly threw flowers across the kitchen and grabbed his arm.
He then allegedly responded by dragging and pushing her before choking her until she was unable to breathe. He is also accused of telling her he was going to “teach her a lesson” about touching him, per WBIR.
Responding officers observed that the woman had minor injuries, including a red mark on her throat and an abrasion on the left side of her chin, Law & Crime reported, citing police.
Hasford, an associate professor of marketing in the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee, was later charged with aggravated assault, according to a docket examined by PEOPLE. He faces a felony charge, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 1, 2026.
PEOPLE reached out to Hasford's defense attorney, T. Scott Jones, for comment.
Following the charge, the University of Tennessee placed Hasford on paid administrative leave, WVLT reported.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Jones said in a statement to WBIR that the matter is “deeply personal” and expressed confidence it will be resolved, noting his client maintains the presumption of innocence.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Knoxville Police Department and the University of Tennessee for comment.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Read the full article here