Truett McConnell University removes president amid claim he ignored sex abuse
Truett McConnell University is parting ways with its president over allegations that he failed to properly respond to a credible accusation of sexual abuse by a former official.
TMC Board of Trustees posted a brief statement Friday about their decision “to part ways with” Emir Caner, who had served as president of the Georgia-based Baptist academic institution for 17 years.
John O. Yarbrough, who became acting president earlier this year when Caner was placed on leave, will now serve as interim president, according to the statement. Trustees are also in the process of selecting a committee to find a new president.
In May, The Roys Report published a piece describing allegations of sexual assault by a former university official and claimed that Caner was aware of the abuse but did nothing about it until law enforcement became involved.
The allegations came from Hayle Swinson, a student-athlete later employed by TMU as a soccer coach from 2013 to 2018. Swinson accused former Vice President Bradley Reynolds of sexual harassment and assault.
According to TRR, Reynolds emailed Swinson over 300 times, sometimes making obscene comments, such as saying that he had "wet dreams" about her.
Reynolds also allegedly touched Swinson inappropriately during discipleship classes held at his home, with Swinson telling TRR, "I was groomed, I was confused, I was targeted."
"I felt isolated, like I was alone,” Swinson continued. “It took, and it has taken, and it will take years of my life to unwind every lie that was told to me."
While authorities concluded that there wasn't "enough evidence in the case to seek prosecution at this time," they confirmed the existence of "hundreds of graphic emails sent by Reynolds.”
TMU officials said in a statement released in late May that they fired Reynolds in February 2024, within days of him admitting that he was being investigated by police over the allegations.
In June, shortly after the TRR story broke, TMU announced that it was placing Caner on administrative leave while a third-party investigation into the allegations of sexual assault was conducted.
“The Board of Trustees agreed unanimously,” they stated. “We request that you continue to pray for the entire TMU family and all parties involved.”
Last week, according to Baptist Press, TMU trustees heard a report on the third-party findings, the details of which have not been released to the public at present.
