Ex-Truett McConnell University VP indicted for lying to police during sex abuse investigation

Former Truett McConnell University Academic Services Vice President Bradley Reynolds, who was accused of rape and grooming by former student-athlete Hayle Swinson, has been indicted for lying to police in Georgia during an investigation of the allegations last year.

White County District Attorney Jeff Langley told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the indictment issued by a grand jury on Monday alleges that Reynolds, who now lives in Texas, lied to a county sheriff investigator when he was asked about his relationship with Swinson in March 2024.

Swinson, who was also employed as a soccer coach by the private Baptist College in Cleveland, Georgia, from 2013 through 2018, claimed to The Roys Report earlier this year that she was groomed and digitally raped by Reynolds.

She alleged that Reynolds sent her some 300 emails where he described having “wet dreams” about her. During alleged discipleship classes held in the basement of his home, Swinson said Reynolds touched her inappropriately and progressed his abuse to what she described as digital rape.

“I was groomed, I was confused, I was targeted,” Swinson told The Roys Report founder Julie Roys. “I felt isolated, like I was alone. ... It took, and it has taken, and it will take years of my life to unwind every lie that was told to me.”

When Reynolds was questioned by the investigator in 2024 about his relationship with Swinson after she filed a criminal complaint, he denied having a sexual relationship with her, according to the grand jury indictment. He also denied owning a specific email from which Swinson showed police she received the emails from him.

Reynolds further denied “telling and emailing Swinson that his wife was going to die and that he would make Swinson his second wife.”

A judge reportedly issued a warrant for Reynold’s arrest on Monday and set bond at $30,000. Reynolds is facing a penalty of one to five years in prison, a fine, or both if he is convicted of the charges.

Responding to the indictment Tuesday, Swinson’s attorney, Marcia Shein, told WSB-TV 2 that her client sought justice for healing, not to make a political statement.

“This whole experience for Hayle is not political or based on hate, but healing and the right time to make the changes that were long overdue at TMU. These brave women who came forward and the others who were afraid to deserve the support of the Christian community going forward with support for healing and change,” the attorney said.

“This matter did not have to go this far, which put unnecessary mental strain on Hayle and others who were having to deal with this in public or during the school’s investigation. The prayers we all have now is for TMU to seriously change the culture of the school and to move forward and make the needed changes to keep all students safe.”

In a statement responding to the allegations against Reynolds in May, the Christian college insisted that if it had been aware of the abuse earlier, officials would have investigated and dismissed Reynolds much sooner than they did.

Former Truett President Emir Caner was ousted from his post in September after an independent investigation accused him of being aware of the allegations against Reynolds for years, but did nothing until police got involved last year, according to The Roys Report.

“In February 2025, an attorney for the alumnus/former employee reached out to TMU with excerpts of Reynolds’ sexually-explicit and theologically-twisted Yahoo emails,” the college said in a statement in May. “TMU takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously. Had there been a Title IX or HR complaint filed related to this matter, Reynolds would have been immediately investigated and ultimately dismissed.”