Baptist university, president part amid probe of abuse case

The Truett McConnell University Board of Trustees on Thursday appointed John Yarborough as interim president after it formally cut ties with former President Emir Caner. The board in June placed Caner on administrative leave during an independent investigation into allegations that he ignored reports of abuse perpetrated by another staff member. Richard Hyde from Phoenix Research LLC conducted the investigation and presented his findings on Thursday during a closed-door meeting.  Officials at the Cleveland, Ga., university have not released details of the investigation’s findings and no criminal charges have been filed in connection with the incident.

What is the background of the case? Former student-athlete Hayle Swinson, who was later hired by TMU as a soccer coach, told The Roys Report in May that a former vice president of academic services at the university abused her for years. She also claimed that Caner was aware of the abuse but failed to take action. One day after the report, TMU released a statement saying the vice president informed the school in early 2024 that local authorities were investigating him regarding Swinson’s allegations. Authorities did not ultimately file charges against the vice president, but his employment at the university ended shortly after he was placed on leave during the investigation by law enforcement. It is unclear if the school fired him or if he resigned. 

Dig deeper: Read my report about the death of SBC abuse whistleblower Jennifer Lyell earlier this year.