CLEVELAND, Ga. — Former Truett McConnell University vice president Brad Reynolds has been indicted by a White County grand jury on three felony counts of making false statements to law enforcement, according to court records and officials.
The indictment was issued Monday, Dec. 8, when the October term of the White County Grand Jury reconvened. The charges stem from a March 2024 interview between Reynolds and White County Sheriff’s Office investigator Sgt. Anthony Sims.
Prosecutors allege Reynolds lied when he told Sims he never had a sexual relationship with former student Hayley Swinson. They also allege he lied when he denied controlling an email account that sent more than 300 emails that Swinson provided to investigators. Finally, they allege Reynolds lied when he denied telling Swinson that his wife was going to die and that he intended to make her his second wife.
District Attorney Jeff Langley confirmed to AccessWDUN that an arrest warrant has been issued and said Reynolds is believed to now live in Texas. Langley said his office has been in contact with Reynolds’ attorney and will give him an opportunity to turn himself in “within a reasonable amount of time,” adding that extradition could be pursued if necessary.
Reynolds served as vice president of academic affairs at Truett McConnell until 2024, when he resigned after informing the university he was under investigation by local authorities.
Swinson’s attorney, Marcia Shein, said her client is “very grateful that the DA in White County investigated, and that the district attorney presented the case to the grand jury,” adding, “Now we’ll just let the justice system proceed.”
The former student discussed her sexual assault allegations on a May 29 podcast, saying she was assaulted during one-on-one Bible study sessions at Reynolds’ home.
Truett McConnell issued a statement May 30 saying it first became aware of the allegations in February 2024, when Reynolds informed the university that he was under investigation by the White County Sheriff’s Office “regarding an inappropriate relationship.” The university said his employment ended within days and that school leaders later learned he had sent hundreds of inappropriate emails from a personal account.
White County sheriff’s investigators initially concluded there was insufficient evidence to seek criminal charges, but Langley later reopened the case.
Reynolds’ case became the center of an internal review at Truett McConnell. During a special-called meeting on June 6, the Board of Trustees placed President Emir Caner on administrative leave and unanimously approved a third-party investigation led by Richard Hyde of Phoenix Research LLC. Trustees later received a verbal report of the investigative findings on Sept. 25 in executive session.
Following that meeting, Interim President John Yarbrough announced at a press conference that Caner would not be returning as president. Yarbrough, who had previously been serving as acting president, was affirmed by trustees to continue leading the university until a new president is named.
Reynolds’ arraignment is currently scheduled for April 2, 2026.
This article originally appeared in The Christian Index.
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