Georgetown College president fired for allegations of sexual assault
William A. Jones was fired as president of Georgetown College on Nov. 1 after the school learned of allegations of sexual assault and “inappropriate behavior.”
Georgetown College
The president of Georgetown College has been fired for allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct between the president and multiple female employees, the college announced Tuesday.
William A. Jones, president of Georgetown College, was fired on Monday by the board of trustees.
On Oct. 31, the college learned “of allegations of a sexual assault of a female College employee, inappropriate behavior with another female College employee, and other conduct in violation of Jones’s employment agreement with the College,” according to a release from the school.
The college began investigating the allegations, and outside counsel has been hired to continue the investigation, the release said. Georgetown police didn’t immediately respond to questions.
Board of Trustees chairman Robert Mills called a meeting of the board’s executive committee on Monday morning, where the committee voted to fire Jones. The full board voted to fire him later the same day.
“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,” Mills said in a statement. “We are surprised and deeply disappointed by what we have learned. 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. 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.”
Georgetown College “will have no further comment at this time” while the investigation is ongoing, according to the release.
Jones was named president in 2019, with a unanimous vote from the board of trustees, according to the college’s website. Previously, he was the president of Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas.
Rosemary Allen, the college’s provost, has been named acting president.
Georgetown College is a private Christian college with over 1,500 students enrolled, according to the college’s website.
This developing story will be updated.
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 3:05 PM.
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