Cleveland, Georgia– A former vice president at a Baptist university in northeast Georgia has been indicted on lying charges when he denied sexually assaulting a woman who was a student and then an employee at the university.
A White County grand jury on Monday indicted Bradley Reynolds on three felony counts of making false statements to law enforcement officials.
Reynolds was vice president of academic affairs at Truitt McConnell University in Cleveland, Georgia, until he resigned in 2024. Reynolds did not return phone calls from media outlets seeking comment.
The indictment stems from an interview Sheriff’s Detective Anthony Sims conducted with Reynolds in March 2024. Grand jurors allege Reynolds lied when he told Sims he did not have a sexual relationship with the woman. They also allege that Reynolds lied when he denied controlling an email account that sent more than 300 emails that the women provided to investigators. Finally, they claim that Reynolds lied when he denied telling the woman that his wife would die and that he would make the woman his second wife.
The issue of Reynolds’ behavior and whether university officials covered him up Truitt upset McConnella conservative college with 3,100 students that typically sees few public protests. University Trustees in September President Emir Caner was dismissedwho had been on leave since June, after the investigator presented the findings. The trustees made John Yarbrough interim president.
Kaner denied hiding or ignoring any attacks. Kanner’s opponents say he retaliated against two managers who pressured him about the accusations, prompting them to quit their jobs. The school denied any retaliation.
Southern Baptists have faced allegations of this Hundreds of church leaders and workers They have abused people over the years and the cult has not done enough to prevent the abuse.
The former student discussed her sexual assault allegations in a May 29 podcast. She claims she was repeatedly assaulted when she went to Bradley’s home for Bible study.
Truett McConnell issued a statement on May 30, saying it first became aware of the allegations in February 2024, when an administrator informed the university that he was under investigation by the White County Sheriff’s Office “regarding an inappropriate relationship.” The university said Bradley’s employment ended within days, and that school leaders later learned that the principal had sent “hundreds” of “sexually explicit and ideologically twisted” emails from a personal account.
White County Sheriff’s investigators initially concluded there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges. But District Attorney Jeff Langley reopened the case.
Marcia Shin, the woman’s attorney, told the Now Habersham website that her client is “extremely grateful that the White County prosecutor investigated the case, and that the prosecutor presented the case to the grand jury. Now we will let the justice system move forward.”
Langley said authorities will coordinate next steps to bring Reynolds to Georgia to answer the charges.