Boston University College of Communication professor Robert Zelnick will continue to teach his scheduled journalism courses next semester despite facing charges of vehicular homicide following his involvement in a fatal car crash in October, BU officials said.
“There certainly is no change in professor Zelnick’s situation or status here,” said COM Dean Thomas Fiedler. “I’m not in a position and wouldn’t want to try to presume whether this was just a tragedy that couldn’t be averted or what, and that’ll be the subject of the court hearing.”
Zelnick said, in an interview with The Daily Free Press, he will continue to teach two sections of Media Law and Ethics, as he did in the fall semester.
“I fully intend to keep teaching as long as my health holds up,” he said. “I’ve been assigned my two regular sections, and I’m ready to go as I have been for, let’s see, since ’98.”
Zelnick’s 2006 BMW sports utility vehicle struck a 2003 Honda motorcycle while driving on Clark Road on Oct. 7, according to report filed by the Plymouth Police department.
Zelnick turned left to head northbound on Route three onto the ramp when his SUV ended up in the way of the motorcycle driving opposite. The report said the driver was unable to stop and fatally collided with the side of Zelnick’s vehicle.
A Plymouth Police spokeswoman said there was no alcohol involved in the accident.
The motorcyclist, 26-year-old Brendan Kennedy, of Plymouth, was pronounced dead at Jordan Hospital in Plymouth, according to an article published Thursday in The Boston Globe.
At a requested hearing at Plymouth District Court, Acting Clerk Magistrate Philip McCue found probable cause to charge Zelnick on misdemeanor charges of failing to yield to oncoming traffic and vehicular homicide, according to The Globe.
The clerk magistrate was not available for comment in time for publication.
Zelnick refused to talk about details of the accident because he was “not in a position to do so,” but he said that he plans to plea not guilty at his arraignment on Jan. 20 and will teach at BU for the duration of the semester with no leave.
“I can’t even foresee the circumstances that would require me to take a leave, I really can’t,” he said. “The trial’s not going to be until probably next summer, and I would think that there wouldn’t be much concern about this until the trial actually starts, if there is one.”
If found guilty of vehicular homicide, Zelnick faces up to two and a half years in prison as well as a fine up to $3,000.
“This is heartbreaking news, and I know that professor Zelnick has been distraught by the situation and primarily because of the loss of life involved that has weighed on him heavily,” Fiedler said.
Zelnick said his classes have known about the incident for the last several weeks and that he has received a large number of calls offering support.
“The class cooperated a hundred percent,” Zelnick said. “Actually, I can’t recall a single question or comment about it. We just went about our business, which is what I intend to do.”
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Interesting to hear that Prof. Zelnick’s class was aware of this weeks ago. Would have appreciated a heads up to the faculty as well. Learning about this in the Globe was a shock.
Zelnick is 100% responsible for this young man’s death. What he did was totally irresponsible and unbelievable. Go to the Plymouth courthouse and read the eye witness accounts.