Idaho massacre suspect fired from teaching position days before arrest due to ‘behavioral problems,’ ‘sexist attitude’

Administrators at WSU, where Kohberger was also completing his master's degree in criminology, said he was fired due to ongoing "behavioral problems" and a "sexist attitude towards women."

According to the Daily Mail, the 28-year-old had been hired as a teaching assistant in August 2022, and within a month was being investigated over his behavior towards women.

Professors noted that Kohberger was "rude to women," and "had a sexist attitude toward females he interacted with at the school." His feelings seeped into his professional conduct, with reports that he graded female students differently than their male counterparts.

Kohberger was also accused of being "feisty" and "belligerent," arguing repeatedly with professors who criticized his lack of "professional behavior."

In November, just eleven days before Kohberger allegedly committed the murders, he and his professor developed an "improvement plan," however a month later he was informed that he "had made no progress regarding professionalism," and was fired.

According to the Daily Mail, there were fears that during his time in the criminology department, Kohberger could have accessed footage from the police department in Moscow, Idaho, where the killings took place, however a WSU spokesman denied that such footage was stored there.

Officials also reassured the public that Kohberger had never gained access to confidential footage from other police departments, noting that, "all research assistants must complete a background check, an FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Level 2 certification, be fingerprinted by the FBI and sign a confidentiality agreement in order to enter the facility."

Eleven days after being fired, Kohberger was arrested at his parents' home in Pennsylvania for the murders of 20-year-old Xana Kernodle, her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, 21-year-old Madison Mogen, and 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves. He is currently in custody, with a trial set for later this year.