By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
GEORGETOWN, Ky. — The Board of Trustees of Georgetown College terminated the employment of William A. Jones as president of the college amid allegations of inappropriate conduct, the school announced on Tuesday.
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. The college took immediate steps to investigate the allegations and has engaged outside counsel to continue the investigation.
Georgetown, founded by Kentucky Baptists 1829, began to distance itself from the Kentucky Baptist Convention in 2005, and the relationship ended in 2013.
Chairman of the Georgetown College Board of Trustees, Robert L. Mills, called a meeting of the board’s executive committee on Nov. 1. The committee took immediate action to dismiss Jones. The full board affirmed the executive committee’s action at a meeting on Monday.
“Georgetown College does not tolerate violence or misuse of authority,” Mills said in a statement. “We hold our administrators, students and faculty to the highest standards of moral and ethical conduct. 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.”
The board named Rosemary Allen, the college’s provost, acting president.
Because the allegations are still under investigation, the college will have no further comment, Mills said.
Jones, who was Georgetown College’s 25th president, was hired by the school in 2019. He graduated from Berea College with a bachelor’s degree in political science and earned a master’s in philanthropy and development from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. B&R
