Truett McConnell University, a private Baptist College in Cleveland, Georgia, said they weren’t aware of allegations of grooming and sexual abuse against former academic services vice president, Bradley Reynolds, until he disclosed it to them last year which led to his firing.
The 79-year-old Southern Baptist college, which operates under the auspices of the Georgia Baptist Convention, released a statement on the allegations last Friday after President Emir Caner was accused of being aware of the allegations against Reynolds for years but did nothing until police got involved last year, according to The Roys Report.
“A blogger and podcaster published serious allegations involving Dr. Brad Reynolds, a former TMU administrator and professor, related to an inappropriate and immoral relationship with an alumnus who was later employed by the University from 2013 through 2018,” TMU said in its statement.
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“While local law enforcement decided not to pursue charges, the fact remains that Dr. Reynolds’ behavior was abhorrent, immoral, manipulative, and unethical. As was expressed more than once in a Friday afternoon faculty and staff meeting, we are all shocked and disgusted to learn of his secret side,” the college said.
Former student-athlete Hayle Swinson, who was later employed as a soccer coach by the college from 2013 through 2018, claimed to The Roys Report that she was groomed and digitally raped by Reynolds.
Swinson alleged 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.”
In their statement on Friday, the Christian college insisted that were they made aware of the abuse earlier, they would have acted earlier.
“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. 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,” the college said.
“Based on TMU’s commitment to student safety, we have initiated additional reviews by outside counsel to confirm no previous complaints had been filed. Outside counsel found no documented evidence of Reynolds’ behavior, including reviewing the computers, emails, and files of former employees.”
Jonathan Morris, the Christian college’s Title IX coordinator from 2010 through 2020, also told The Roys Report that he told Caner in 2016 about the relationship between Reynolds and Swinson after seeing them enter the former college vice president’s home and staying there for more than 30 minutes. Morris said neither Reynolds’ wife nor any of his children were at home at the time. He said he was eventually pressured to resign for inadvertently using the school’s credit card for a personal item even though he reimbursed the school.
While Morris maintains that he was forced to resign for reporting Reynolds, TMU insists he was asked to leave due to his financial misconduct.
“The facts are that he was asked to resign after a series of unauthorized, personal expenses on his University-issued credit card totaling over $12,000. In one instance, Morris charged a $7,000 personal expense to his TMU credit card shortly after requesting a credit limit increase to pay for freshman orientation expenses,” the college said. “Morris’ repeated behavior, which was flagged by the University’s external auditor, necessitated the decision to end his employment.”
College officials further insisted that they are committed to providing a safe environment for the school community.
“TMU is committed to providing a caring, supportive, Christ-centered environment for all students, faculty, and staff. Our Title IX policies are regularly reviewed by our Title IX and HR teams, as well as outside counsel and third-party audits by independent experts. When complaints of sexual discrimination, harassment or other misconduct are reported, investigations are promptly initiated and timely concluded, with all parties being apprised of the status and ultimate outcome,” the school said.
“Truett McConnell University encourages alleged misconduct to be reported as soon as possible. Every TMU employee is trained to bring reports of alleged misconduct to the Title IX or HR office, allowing students to speak with an employee whom they trust. We ask that you join us in praying for all those involved.”
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