Tennessee researcher heads to court amid claims of theft, forgery and revenge

In May 2025, Tennessee officials were set to arrest a university math professor named Don Hong for allegedly soliciting donations from students and keeping the funds for himself. University records show Hong exploited his position to manipulate students into paying him rent and cleaning up after his dog. When students spoke out about his alleged crimes, Hong became vengeful.

He falsely accused a student of research misconduct and pressured a journal to retract a study she authored, according to a report by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury. The grand jury indicted Hong on May 5, 2025, for theft, forgery, and retaliation against the student. However, the International Journal of Computer Mathematics retracted a paper on mortgage rates authored by Hong and four other MTSU students, stating that the methodology and statistical analysis were incorrect and the conclusions unreliable.

The issue of whether the retracted paper matches the one referenced in the state's investigation remains uncertain. Taylor & Francis, the journal's publisher, declined to comment on the retraction. Hong's status hearing in the theft case is set for September 25, and a trial is scheduled for March 1, 2027. Hong, who has been at MTSU since 2005, was a faculty member in the Computational & Data Science Ph.D. program, overseeing the research of all authors on the retracted paper.

He did not respond to requests for comment. Zhu and her coauthors also declined to comment. Zhu was formerly the vice president of graduate affairs for the university's Actuarial Math Student Association between 2022 and 2023. Hong, who coordinated MTSU's Actuarial Science Program and advised the student group, traveled to China to recruit students and forge partnerships with other institutions.

State authorities initiated their investigation after uncovering questionable financial transactions between Hong and students. Between January 2020 and May 2024, Hong allegedly stole $8,225.48 in university donations, pocketing the money rather than depositing it into the university's account. Hong provided various explanations for his actions, including plans to eventually return the money in full, invest it, or give it to the university.

During their investigation, authorities spoke with several Chinese students who reported that Hong had promised them housing near the university before their arrival in the U.S. Hong concealed that he or his spouse owned the properties and used an alias to forge rental agreements. Some students reported that Hong required them to care for his dog during spring break without compensation.

Additionally, Hong took cash from students for "airport transportation," claiming it as a reimbursable expense from the university. The state's report identified a Ph.D. student, referred to as "Student 4," among those who lived in one of Hong's rental properties. "Student 4" went to Hong's office multiple times to report an alleged assault at his property and requested assistance.

However, Hong advised her not to contact law enforcement, stating that doing so would bring shame upon her as a Chinese individual. He threatened that if she left the property, she would be responsible for the entire year's rent. "Student 4" complied with Hong's demands until her lease expired, continuing to pay him. She later informed authorities that, in China, students are taught to obey their professors, and she believed Hong.

Following the reports from "Student 4" and another student, someone using the alias "Peter Panelist" began accusing Zhu of research misconduct, according to the state. A journal email under the alias informed the journal that the student's paper contained plagiarism and should be retracted. The investigation is expected to play out in court, with Hong's status hearing and trial pending in the coming months.