College president's bizarre obsession with 23-year-old student exposed as probe reveals lavish handouts and hand-written notes had her HIDING on campus

Published: 22:40, 15 April 2026 | Updated: 22:41, 15 April 2026 A college president suddenly retired after an investigation found he developed an obsessive and inappropriate relationship with a student. John Cox, 63, stepped down as president of Cape Cod Community College in March following an external probe into his behavior toward a 23-year-old female student he initially intended to mentor. The findings were first reported by the Boston Globe, which obtained a copy of the report - not publicly released by the college - and verified it with individuals involved. Investigators said Cox ‘demonstrated a gross lack of judgment’ and engaged in an ‘ongoing pattern of inappropriate and excessive contact’ that went ‘far outside’ a typical academic relationship. Between December 2024 and June 2025, Cox and the student exchanged about 2,500 texts, 200 emails and 17 handwritten letters, often written in purple ink. He also contacted her family and romantic partner and left gifts at her home and in her car. After about six months, the student requested to ‘take a step back’ to focus on her mental health and studies.  Cox replied with a broken heart emoji and later asked a colleague for a ‘bulletproof’ beekeeping suit that could ‘withstand arrows at the heart.’ The employee he contacted, Maura Weir, was later placed on paid administrative leave after failing to report his behavior to college leadership despite the student asking for a 'verbal no contact order.' John Cox, 63, stepped down as president of Cape Cod Community College in March following an external probe into his behavior toward a 23-year-old female student he wanted to mentor Cox was the president of Cape Cod Community College from 2012 until he retired in the middle of march following the controversy Between December 2024 and June 2025, Cox and the student exchanged about 2,500 texts, 200 emails and 17 handwritten letters, often written in purple ink However, he continued pursuing contact, leading her to hide from him on campus and suffer panic attacks, insomnia and anxiety, investigators found. Cox also provided ‘material benefits’ not afforded to other students, including recommending her for a $4,000 welding scholarship, spending hours advocating for her with a former employer and creating networking opportunities for her and her partner. He supported her partner’s short-lived campus espresso bar, costing about $15,000, and backed a beekeeping project tied to her interests, costing about $3,950. He also visited the student in the hospital and entered her room without notice, leaving her vulnerable as she was only wearing a hospital gown and in immense pain Investigators said his conduct was ‘detrimental’ to her academic experience and mental health but did not meet the threshold for sexual harassment, concluding it stemmed from a misguided mentorship. Cox had been on paid leave for months before informing the board on March 16 that he would retire immediately, with most of the campus unaware of the reason. His lawyer, Kenneth Tashjy, said Cox chose to step down after 14 years to help the college ‘move forward’ following the investigation. Board chair Tammy Glivinski-Saben said the probe, launched over potential policy violations, found Cox did not breach affirmative action or equal opportunity rules but did engage in ‘inappropriate and unprofessional conduct’ inconsistent with his role.  Officials said they are now working to implement reforms and strengthen oversight after the controversy. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.