Former TMU VP accused of lying about student relationship could face fall trial

CLEVELAND, Ga. – Bradley Reynolds, the former Truett McConnell University vice president accused of an alleged illicit relationship with a former student and staffer, may proceed to trial on November 2, after his attorney and the prosecutor appeared before White County Court Judge Joy R. Parks. During a regularly scheduled court session Thursday morning in White County Superior Court, neither the prosecutor nor defense requested a delay.

District Attorney Jeff Langley later said: “This case is proceeding just like the other 90 criminal cases on this docket…”

He said he is negotiating toward a possible settlement with Reynolds’ attorneys, as he does in virtually every criminal case.

But if the case does proceed, Langley said, “[for] pre-trial legal arguments,” he said, “the judge indicated she would look for a date with about a half-day available to argue motions. It would probably take three to four hours to argue those motions.”

“If we reach an agreement [with Reynolds’ lawyers], those would not take place. If not, then after that, the case would then be ready for trial.”

He said the November 2^nd date was tentative, since it may not be possible to schedule the pre-trial motions before that date.

Reynolds’ denials

Reynolds is fighting charges that he lied to law enforcement about his actions with regard to former TMU student and staff member Hayle Swinson, who alleges a long, nonconsensual sexual relationship with the former vice president.

Asked for comment in court, one of Reynolds’ attorneys, Theodore Cassert of Fox, Chandler, Hicks, McKinnon & Cassert, LLP in Gainesville, simply said “Nope…Nothing to say.”

Reynolds did not appear in court.

In December, Reynolds was indicted on three counts, all stemming from lies he allegedly told about his relationship with Swinson during his March 1, 2024, interview with the White County Sheriff’s office investigator.

In that interview, Reynolds allegedly denied then that he’d had an inappropriate relationship with Swinson and also denied that some 350 emails sent to Swinson—some of them laced with lurid detail, as Swinson later disclosed—were in fact from him, a denial the sheriff easily disproved at the time.

During his interview with the investigator, Reynolds denied ever having sex with Swinson. He also denied what Swinson said were his repeated statements that she, Swinson, would replace Reynolds’ wife, whom Reynolds said God told him would soon die.

Lying to law enforcement is a felony in Georgia. Reynolds has not been charged with any violent or sexual crime, because, according to Swinson’s attorney, the statute of limitations has expired on those possible charges.

Defense claims no legal basis for charges

Reynolds’ attorneys had previously filed a “demurral” motion with White County Superior Court. A demurrer challenges whether the charges, as written, are legally sufficient.

The motion reads, in part: “The Defendant demurs generally to all counts of the said indictment on the ground that the same fails to adequately charge the Defendant with an offense against the Law of the State of Georgia.”

It continues: “The Defendant demurs generally to all counts of the said indictment on the ground that the same fails to sufficiently set out the charge of False Statement against this Defendant.”

Another VP’s fundraising appeal

In another, previously unreported development, in August, Now Georgia obtained an email sent two years ago by a dean and professor, now a TMU vice president. In March 2024, he sought to raise funds in honor of Reynolds. Dr. Maël L. D. S. Disseau, a professor of Bible and theology, succeeded Reynolds as Vice President of Academic Services after Reynolds’ resignation the previous month.

Disseau’s email to faculty and staff sought financial support for the University and sought to honor Reynolds upon the accused vice president’s departure.

The email, read in part, “…Cindy (my wife) and I support TMU monthly, but I got convicted to give an extra one-time gift to the Standing on Truth fund this weekend, so we will be donating $300 in honor of Brad Reynolds. I share that with you because I often think that a big donor is going to be the solution to all our financial needs, but what I was convicted of is the fact that if each one of us on this email would give $100, we would raise over $20,000 in an instant.”

‘Inappropriate now’

Asked in August about extending “honor” to Reynolds, Disseau wrote back to Now Georgia: “In that email, among other things, I was encouraging the faculty and certain staff to support the university, and only parenthetically noted that I personally would make a gift in honor of Dr. Reynolds. At the time, I was acting on the limited information available to me with the desire to encourage faculty and staff who were discouraged by Dr. Reynolds’ sudden departure. Given what I know today, I would not give a gift in honor of Dr. Reynolds, nor would I find it appropriate to reference Dr. Reynolds in that communication.”

Disseau added that he sent the email mentioning Reynolds without consulting then-President Caner, who was later fired after an investigation into Reynolds’ alleged misdeeds at TMU, and the former president’s apparent failure to stop Reynolds.

Caner has sued the university over his dismissal, and TMU has in response filed a motion to dismiss that lawsuit.

Asked about his view of progress TMU has made since Reynolds’ and Caner’s dismissals, Disseau replied: “Since then, TMU has continued to emphasize its policies and expectations regarding employee conduct and reporting.  We are committed to a culture where concerns can be raised, addressed responsibly, and taken seriously. Truett McConnell University remains committed to providing a safe and Christ-centered environment for our students, faculty, staff, and families.”

Disseau closed his emailed response with a Biblical reference, citing Proverbs 3:5-6, which reads: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”