Ex university leader charged after investigators reopen sexual assault probe

CLEVELAND, Ga. - A former vice president at Truett McConnell University has been indicted in White County on allegations that he lied to investigators about sexually assaulting a woman who was first a student and later an employee at the northeast Georgia Baptist school, according to reporting from the Associated Press.

What we know:

A White County grand jury indicted Bradley Reynolds on Monday on three felony counts of making false statements to law enforcement. Prosecutors say the charges stem from a March 2024 interview in which sheriff’s investigator Anthony Sims questioned Reynolds about the woman’s allegations.

Grand jurors allege Reynolds falsely told Sims he never had a sexual relationship with the woman, denied controlling an email account that sent more than 300 messages the woman provided to investigators, and denied telling her that his wife was going to die and he planned to make the woman his second wife.

Reynolds served as vice president of academic affairs at Truett McConnell University in Cleveland until his 2024 resignation. He did not respond to phone calls from news outlets seeking comment.

District Attorney Jeff Langley reopened the case after White County sheriff’s investigators initially concluded there was not enough evidence to pursue criminal charges. Langley said authorities will now coordinate efforts to bring Reynolds back to Georgia to face the indictment.

The backstory:

The woman publicly discussed her allegations on a May 29 podcast, saying she was repeatedly assaulted when she went to Reynolds’ home for Bible study. Her attorney, Marcia Shein, told the Now Habersham website that her client is "very grateful that the DA in White County investigated, and that the district attorney presented the case to the grand jury. Now we’ll just let the justice system proceed."

The case has become a flashpoint at Truett McConnell, a conservative college with about 3,100 students. The indictment follows months of internal turmoil and public protest over how university leaders handled the allegations.

University trustees removed President Emir Caner in September after an investigator presented findings. Caner had been on leave since June. Trustees named John Yarbrough interim president. Caner has denied covering up or ignoring any assaults, while critics say he retaliated against two administrators who pressed him on the concerns. The school denies any retaliation.

Truett McConnell issued a statement May 30 saying it first learned of the allegations in February 2024, when Reynolds told officials he was under investigation "regarding an inappropriate relationship." The university said his employment ended within days and that leaders later discovered he had sent "hundreds" of "sexually explicit and theologically twisted" emails from a personal account.

Dig deeper:

The broader Southern Baptist Convention has faced allegations for years that hundreds of its leaders and workers have abused people and that the denomination failed to do enough to prevent misconduct.