Nortel exec admits assault

Confrontation in Chapel Hill led to misdemeanor charges

Nortel Networks' top executive in Research Triangle Park admitted Thursday that in the fall, he grabbed a college student by the face through her car window and threatened her.

Jesse Joel Hackney, 37, Nortel's senior vice president of global operations and quality at RTP, admitted to assault on a female, communicating threats, and false imprisonment, all misdemeanor charges.

The charges were brought by Alicia Ogden, 21, a UNC-Chapel Hill student. Under the agreement entered Thursday in Orange County District Court in Hillsborough, the charges will be dropped if Hackney fulfills conditions imposed by the court.

One of those conditions was that the corporate executive undergo a mental-health assessment for anger management. Hackney declined to discuss details of the argument and the case Thursday.

"It's such a minor thing that I haven't been involved in it," Hackney said during a telephone interview Thursday. "It's a parking lot argument, like 30 seconds."

Nortel spokeswoman Ann Fuller said the company is aware of Hackney's criminal case but regards it as a personal matter.

"Joel has our support and confidence," Fuller said.

Hackney is a Chapel Hill native who worked 15 years at General Electric. He was recruited to Nortel Networks in late 2005 to help restore the Canadian telecommunications company's public image after a series of financial and ethics scandals.

Hackney oversees about 10,500 Nortel employees and reports directly to chief executive Mike Zafirovski. The two became close friends while working their way up GE's competitive management ranks.

The Oct. 13 assault in the Ram's Head parking facility on the UNC-CH campus happened after a "Late Night With Roy" event with head basketball coach Roy Williams, according to the criminal complaint that Ogden signed.

Ogden said in the complaint that she and three friends had waited in traffic in the parking deck for about 45 minutes when Hackney pulled in front of her in his Audi SUV, cutting her off. As Hackney's car was leaving the garage, Ogden honked her car's horn at him. Hackney stopped his car, got out, walked up to Ogden's car, and asked her through her open window if everything was OK and if she had a problem, according to Ogden's complaint. "He then grabbed the left side of my face," Ogden said in the affidavit.

"I told him not to touch me," she said, and Hackney responded that he'd do what he wanted.

An arrest warrant was issued for Hackney on Oct. 15 by an Orange County magistrate. Hackney signed paperwork admitting he was guilty of the charges. In exchange, Assistant District Attorney Ashley Cannon agreed to drop the charges if Hackney complies with the agreement.

The agreement also requires that he donate $500 to the Family Violence Prevention Center in Chapel Hill, perform 50 hours of community service and donate tickets to three UNC-Chapel Hill basketball home games to the N.C. Children's Hospital's fundraising arm, Children's Promise.

Hackney agreed to send a letter of apology to Ogden, court documents show. He has a May 17 court date to report on his compliance with the conditions.

"Mr. Hackney regrets this unfortunate incident took place," Hackney's attorney, Kirk Osborn said.