Texas A&M Professor Arrested

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AUSTIN, Texas (KBTX) - A Texas A&M University professor set to begin teaching this fall has been arrested on a charge of indecent exposure stemming from an alleged incident earlier this year at the University of Texas at Austin.

Russell Taylor Johns was taken into custody on Wednesday by the Texas A&M University Police Department on a warrant issued by the University of Texas Police Department, according to jail records. He was booked into the Brazos County Detention Center and later released on a $7,000 bond.

Court documents obtained by KBTX allege Johns exposed his genitals and touched himself inappropriately at the William C. Powers Student Activity Center on the UT campus around 9 p.m. on April 29. A staff member reportedly witnessed Johns masturbating while looking at students.

According to the arrest warrant, UT Police initially issued Johns a criminal trespass warning after speaking with the alleged victim, who spoke only Spanish. Days later, officers fluent in Spanish conducted a follow-up interview in which the woman clarified that Johns was staring at two female students seated across from him while exposing himself.

The warrant states Johns had been invited to the UT campus by the Department of Petroleum and Geosciences.

In July, Texas A&M University announced on social media that Johns had been hired to work at the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering. “We believe that Dr. Johns’ vast and diverse technical knowledge and experience will be a tremendous asset to our department’s teaching and research mission,” the post read.

On Thursday, a Texas A&M spokesperson confirmed Johns’ hiring but did not clarify his current employment status. University officials said he had not yet begun teaching.

An online biography states Johns most recently worked at Penn State as a Professor Emeritus of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, and previously served on the UT petroleum engineering faculty from 1995 to 2010.

As part of his bond conditions, Johns must avoid contact with the alleged victims and their families, refrain from committing any additional offenses, and submit to random drug testing.

Indecent exposure is a Class B misdemeanor in Texas, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

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