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Image: Truett McConnell University seal; via Wikipedia.
A private Georgia Baptist college has placed its president on leave while it investigates claims that he ignored reports of sexual abuse involving a former administrator. Trustees at Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, Georgia, announced that President Emil Caner was placed on leave last week and that an outside investigator has been hired to examine the allegations, Fox 5 Atlanta recently reported.
The investigation centers on claims made by a former student and later university employee, who says she was repeatedly sexually assaulted at the administrator’s home during Bible study sessions. The allegations became public May 29 on the Christian investigative podcast The Roys Report.
In its initial statement on May 30, Truett McConnell said it first learned of the allegations in February 2024, when the administrator told the university he was under investigation by the White County Sheriff’s Office over what was described as “an inappropriate relationship.” The university says his employment ended within days and that it later discovered he had sent “hundreds” of “sexually-explicit and theologically-twisted” emails from a personal account. The sheriff’s office later concluded there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges.
A plaintiff’s attorney representing the former student disputes the university’s timeline, saying Truett McConnell knew of the misconduct well before February 2024 and had ignored a petition raising concerns about the administrator’s behavior. The attorney said the student has not sued the university because Georgia’s statute of limitations for civil sexual abuse claims is four years, but added that the White County district attorney is taking a renewed look at the case.
The university maintains it “takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously” and says that if a formal complaint had been filed earlier, the administrator “would have been immediately investigated and ultimately dismissed.”
The case has drawn outrage from alumni and current students. Several alumni gathered on campus as trustees met last Friday, accusing the university of failing to act swiftly or transparently. One protester, 2017 graduate Brianna Derryberry, held a sign reading, “Your silence says more than your slogan,” and told local media, “I truly believe that there has been a lot that has been covered up. I’ve just been praying that the darkness won’t be there anymore and that the truth will come out.”
The Southern Baptist Convention, of which Truett McConnell University is affiliated, has faced nationwide scrutiny over sexual abuse for years. Investigations and lawsuits have alleged that hundreds of church leaders, employees, and volunteers across the denomination have engaged in sexual abuse and that institutional leaders often failed to prevent it or respond appropriately. Critics say the Truett McConnell case reflects systemic patterns of institutional protectionism that have allowed alleged abusers to evade accountability.
As the investigation proceeds, John Yarborough, the university’s director of alumni and public policy, has been named acting president. The White County district attorney’s office has not provided a timeline for its renewed review.
If you are a survivor of sexual abuse within the Southern Baptist community, it is never too late to learn your legal options. Many survivors say the real value goes beyond compensation. It’s also about being heard, validated, and empowered to feel whole again.
