U Of M Law Professor Faces Stalking, Sexual Assault Charges

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A University of Minnesota Law School professor was charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and stalking, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Tuesday.

Francesco Parisi, 54, of Minneapolis was charged Tuesday and is expected to make a court appearance Wednesday afternoon. Prosecutors are seeking bail of $500,000, according to a news release.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim came to the Minneapolis Police Department’s downtown precinct office in late January and told officers that a man she dated for several months in 2014 and early 2015 had been stalking her and tried to run her over with his Jeep.

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During their relationship, she said he got “crazier and crazier,” and finally saw a psychiatrist who diagnosed him as bipolar and depressed. However, on Jan. 22, 2015, he went into a rage when she confronted him about some of the things he confessed to her he had done to other girls and women, according to police.

He allegedly grabbed her in a bear hug and slammed her to the floor. Police said at that point, she had a stress-induced seizure and when she awoke he was sexually assaulting her.

When she finally was able to leave, she had to go to the hospital with three broken teeth and needed surgery for other injuries she suffered, according to the complaint.

She allegedly had nothing more to do with Parisi and obtained an order for protection against him when he kept pounding on her door.

However, she claimed she saw him follow her in his car on two occasions and on Jan. 17, she was out for a run when she saw his black Jeep at Washington and Third Avenues North. Suddenly, he allegedly drove up onto the sidewalk and came within two feet of hitting her.

She managed to get into a building and an elevator, where she allegedly suffered another stress induced seizure.

A citizen called 911 and the woman was hospitalized for three days, the complaint states.

Read the entire criminal complaint below:

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