The president of Georgetown College in Kentucky was fired over alleged inappropriate conduct including complaints he sexually assaulted a female colleague.
The private liberal arts Christian college, located about 70 miles from Louisville, announced William A. Jones’ termination on Tuesday.
“Georgetown College does not tolerate violence or misuse of authority. We hold our administrators, students and faculty to the highest standards of moral and ethical conduct,” said Robert L. Mills, chairman of the college’s Board of Trustees, in a statement.
Jones is accused of sexually assaulting a female employee, engaging in inappropriate behavior with another female worker and displaying “other conduct in violation” of his employment, the college said. The school became aware of the allegations on Sunday and immediately launched an investigation.
Georgetown said in its statement that it had hired outside counsel to assist with the investigation.
“We are surprised and deeply disappointed by what we have learned,” Mills said. “We will support the members of our Georgetown College family who are directly impacted, and we will work cooperatively with ongoing or any future investigations.”
Mills called a meeting on Monday with the executive committee of the Board of Trustees, which decided to fire Jones. The termination went into effect on Monday. Rosemary Allen, the college’s provost, will serve as acting president by the College’s Board of Trustees.
“We are confident in the leadership of acting president Allen and the Board appreciates her dedication to the continuing mission of Georgetown College during this difficult time,” Mills said.
Jones became president of the college in July 2019. He has not publicly commented on the allegations and could not be reached Wednesday at phone numbers listed for him.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
