A former University of Georgia associate vice president in its student affairs division has resigned after a sexual harassment complaint by a student.
T.W. Cauthen’s resignation is effective Friday. The complaint was filed in November, according to documents The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained through an open-records request. It alleged Cauthen and the undergraduate had engaged in online and text communications of a sexual nature in early May 2015 after meeting on Grinder, a social media app for gay men.
They initially did not know each other, but became aware of the UGA connection after exchanging photographs. Cauthen broke off the communication. Six months later, in early November, the student filed the complaint with UGA’s Equal Opportunity Office.
The events surrounding Cauthen's resignation were first reported extensively this week by UGA's student newspaper, The Red and Black.
The EEO found Cauthen had not violated the university’s non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy, because the communication was consensual and Cauthen ended it when he realized the student was at UGA and involved with a student- affairs unit he supervised. But the case was further reviewed by the university’s provost and vice president for student affairs.
The student alleged Cauthen engaged in other relationships with students and others he previously supervised. Despite not violating the policy at the time, these relationships “blurred professional and friendship boundaries” and created the risk of abuse of authority, read a findings letter from an EEO administrator.
Cauthen was relieved of his duties in student affairs on Feb. 3 and reassigned as a research associate in the provost’s office, said Bob Taylor, a program specialist in UGA’s marketing and communications office, in an email to the AJC. Cauthen was also notified his contract would not be renewed when it expired at the end of June. He was placed on indefinite administrative leave with pay from that position in February and barred from campus.
Cauthen questioned the additional review in light of the EEO’s finding he had not violated the non-discrimination policy. On Feb. 19, he resigned his position, effective Friday. His resignation letter states that he will remain on paid leave until May 6. After then, he is to be paid for his accrued annual leave, which will be almost $20,219 for 336 hours, based on UGA and state Board of Regents policy, Taylor said.
Cauthen had been in his student-affairs administrative position since September 2015. His annual salary was $126,126.
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