A.M. ATL: Email revelations hit GA Baptist college

Morning, y’all! Why do Georgia schools start so early? There’s no easy answer, but it’s a combination of academic factors, scheduling logistics and levels of local school board control. Mystery solved ... kind of.

Let’s get to it.

INVESTIGATION: A GEORGIA BAPTIST COLLEGE FACES TOUGH QUESTIONS

Hayle Swinson, a former student and staff member at Truett McConnell University, reflects on her journey to help others after accusing a former vice president of the school of sexual abuse.

Last year, Hayle Swinson made a difficult decision that led to upheaval at Truett McConnell University, a small Baptist college in Cleveland, Georgia. She revealed to local authorities more than 300 emails she said were sent to her by the university’s vice president, Bradley Reynolds.

The emails are personal, often sexual, and Swinson says they show Reynolds manipulated scripture and trust to forge an inappropriate relationship.

• The emails began in 2013, the year after Swinson graduated. She stayed on campus to coach the university’s soccer team.
• Swinson says, at some point, regular Bible studies with Reynolds turned sexual, and he would grope her as they prayed.
• She said she was confused by Reynold’s mixture of faith and sex. At one point, he said God had told him his current wife would die and Swinson would take her place.
• Their relationship and the revelation of the emails led to an uproar at Truett McConnell. Some university staff members told the AJC their concerns about Reynolds’ relationship with Swinson were dismissed by others.
• Reynolds denied sending the emails, though forensic evidence links the email account to him. He has not been charged with a crime.
• The university has opened an outside investigation, and the White County district attorney has reopened a criminal investigation into Reynolds’ behavior.

🔎 READ MORE: The AJC investigations team delves into a Baptist college alumna’s claims of abuse

How AJC reporters approached the story

A story like this can dredge up so many painful feelings and gut reactions. I asked the AJC’s Thad Moore and Allie Gross, who reported the story, how they navigated it all.

AJ: What stayed with you as you investigated this story?

• Thad Moore: “I was struck by the outpouring that Hayle’s story brought about. It clearly struck a nerve among alumni and faculty. It reopened old wounds for many women who felt their concerns as students weren’t heard.”

AJ: Obviously, this investigation deals with a lot of personal, painful information. How did you approach that in your reporting?

• TM: “The emails Hayle brought to law enforcement were difficult to read. In quoting from them, our goal was to show how Hayle’s interactions with Reynolds changed over time without delving into salacious detail — that is, to keep the focus on the power dynamic between them.”

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LATEST ON THE CDC SHOOTING

Days after Patrick Joseph White fired on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and killed a responding police officer, we’re learning more about his motive and the impact of the attack.

• White, 30, had several encounters with police stemming from claims of chronic pain and suicidal ideation. White’s father said his son suffered severe back pain and believed the COVID-19 vaccination caused his ill health.
• White’s father, Kenneth White, called police after hearing about the attack and said he thought his son may have been involved. Listen to the 911 call here.
• Meanwhile, donations and condolences are pouring in for the family of Officer David Rose, who was shot during the attack and later died.
• The shooting elevated conversations about public health misinformation to a fever pitch. Democratic leaders have excoriated Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for promoting vaccine misinformation and mistrust.
• So far, President Donald Trump has not made any public comment on the attack. Neither has the White House.

🔎 READ MORE: A timeline of CDC shooting information

OSSOFF SPEAKS ON ALLEGED ICE ABUSES

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff revealed details yesterday about his office’s monthslong investigation into conditions at ICE detention facilities.

• Ossoff said the findings show evidence of “human rights abuse.”
• He cited 14 reports of alleged mistreatment of pregnant women in custody and 18 reports of alleged mistreatment of children.
• The Department of Homeland Security denied Ossoff’s claims that pregnant women were made to sleep on the floor, one woman was left alone for 24 hours to miscarry and a 10-year-old child who recently had brain surgery was denied medical care.

“This is a well-documented problem that, by all accounts, is becoming worse than it ever has been,” Ossoff said in response.

🔎 READ MORE: Report’s findings were based on interviews, firsthand accounts

MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS

🪖 Trump plans to take over Washington, D.C.’s police department, placing it under federal control and activating hundreds of National Guard troops to occupy the city. He says it’s to reduce crime, but crime in the nation’s capital has been on the decline for years.

🏗️ FlatironDragados, the second-largest civil construction company in North America, is moving its headquarters to Atlanta.

📈 Asian shares are mostly higher this morning after Trump delayed raising tariffs on China for another 90 days. “The extension isn’t about goodwill; it’s about keeping oxygen in the room for deals that matter,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said.

WHAT’S UP DOWN IN SAVANNAH

The SCCPSS Central Office may be transformed into a cutting-edge education space that preserves the civic presence of its historic status. Or, it could be a museum.

🏛️ The old Chatham Academy, Savannah’s first public schoolhouse, is an architectural treat for the eyes. However, it’s fallen into disrepair. Now, two competing parties are playing tug-of-war over the building’s future. One party wants to turn it into the “Savannah Collectors Museum.” The other wants it to be an education center. Both plans require some financial finagling. Read more here.

🎹 Remember the push to create a new music commission to boost Savannah’s arts scene? It came through. The new Savannah Music Commission will elevate past and present music production in the city, but first, members need to figure out where their help is most needed. Read more here.

NEWS BITES

WSB-TV is making daytime changes, nixing ‘Tamron Hall’ and bringing on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’

It’s like talk show Game of Thrones in here.

The Atlanta Dream’s win streak reaches five straight

Thank you, Dream, for making the current Atlanta sports scene a little less dismal.

Dale Murphy’s burger joint may be closing, but at least we have this heartfelt tribute from the AJC’s Ken Sugiura

Murph’s, like its namesake, will always be an Atlanta legend.

How will self-driving cars change automotive interior design?

As long as there’s legroom to curl up in a ball and cry with fear, we’re good to go.

ON THIS DATE

Aug. 12, 1932

From the front page of The Atlanta Constitution: Married women job ban opposed. By a unanimous vote, the committee Thursday afternoon adversed a proposed ordinance which would have barred married women, whose husbands are “gainfully employed” from employment by the city.