Staff Reports
Holding signs that read, “Truth is Immortal" – a slogan taught to students at Truett-McConnell University – about 20 alumni and supporters gathered Friday demanding an independent investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and a campus culture of cover-up. Meanwhile, an email from a TMU administrator advising faculty to remain silent on the issue has surfaced.
The protest coincided with a scheduled meeting of TMU’s trustees, who are expected to decide the future of university president Emir Caner. Demonstrators cited a recent podcast and article featuring former student and employee Hayle Swinson, who accused former vice president Bradley Reynolds of years of psychological manipulation and sexual abuse. Swinson also alleged university leaders, including Caner, protected Reynolds and silenced critics.
Trista Blankenship, a former faculty member and alumna, said women who reported harassment were often removed from class, but not the alleged perpetrators. A 2017 petition signed by 50 female students alleging misconduct by Reynolds was reportedly ignored. "I wonder how many more were abused," Blankenship said.
The email from TMU's Dean of the College of Arts and Letters, Maël Disseau (dated March 5, 2024, shortly after Reynolds quietly resigned) advises staff not to share details of his resignation. "It is wiser that details not be shared," Disseau wrote, emphasizing obedience over transparency and warned against speculation, framing criticism as spiritual distraction. "After all, there is nothing any of us can do in this situation, so the thirst for details is really just a quest to quench our curiosity," he wrote.
Protestors say this mindset reflects a broader unwillingness to confront abuse, something they believe the university must face.