Phillips Exeter victim: 'You used up every last ounce of my innocence'

Mark Hayward, The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
Updated ·2 min read

Jan. 13—A former math teacher at Phillips Exeter Academy will spend the next 12 years in state prison pondering the words of his victim, who on Friday delivered a heartfelt description of his sexual assaults on a naïve teenager.

"Look at this idiotic mess of a fool that you made me," the victim, identified as M.S., told Szczesny "Jerzy" Kaminski at his sentencing hearing at Rockingham County Superior Court.

M.S. recounted her first encounters with Kaminiski, his spellbinding teaching style and the support he provided as she struggled with academic challenges. But their closeness eventually led to sexual abuse: "I still remember the taste of the wine on your tongue when you trespassed my mouth," she said.

As the abuse continued, her later years at the school were filled with distress, anxiety, isolation and helplessness.

"You used up every last ounce of my innocence, and you manipulated not just my body but also my mind," said the victim, who appeared via teleconference.

Kaminski, 62, said nothing of substance during the half-hour hearing. He pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault and one charge of misdemeanor sexual assault.

He will spend a minimum of 12 years in state prison, though he may be eligible for some good-conduct reductions in his sentence. He must receive sexual offender treatment before being released, and he will be required to register as a child sex offender wherever he lives.

M.S., who is 23, graduated from college last year and lives at home with her parents, said her lawyer, Christine Dunn. She is now working in an entry-level job.

She already reached a confidential settlement with Phillips Exeter, Dunn said. Dunn did not rule out suing Kaminski, who during pretrial release divided his time between homes in Cambridge, Mass., and Newton, Mass.

"We are considering all our options, but right now we are not looking at that," Dunn said.

Kaminski started teaching at the school in 1991 and lost his job after the abuse allegations surfaced in 2020. The abuse took place in the mid-2010s.

In a statement, Phillips Exeter principal Bill Rawson expressed relief that Kaminski is being held accountable for his crimes and the harm he created.

"We commend M.S.'s efforts in seeking justice for herself and will support her in every way we can as she moves forward from this painful chapter," he said.