Hall: Shorter inconsistent

The assistant director of campus safety discusses the handling of the sexual harassment complaint.

In comparing Shorter University’s handling of two separate sexual harassment complaints occurring within the same time frame, Assistant Director of Campus Safety James Hall said the response to the case concerning former Vice President of Student Affairs Corey Humphries failed to follow a policy dictating the accused must be put on leave until an investigation is complete.

In his 17 years with campus safety at Shorter, Hall said he has never seen another case prior to Humphries’ where the accused wasn’t immediately put on paid administrative leave following a complaint being filed.

“Every person that we’ve ever had an allegation against, under any reason, always got sent home, paid administrative leave until the investigation was over,” Hall said, adding that it is policy to do so.

For example, former head cheerleading coach Chad Reid, who also had a sexual harassment complaint filed against him around a week before Humphries, was immediately put on leave Oct. 11. He said his actions weren’t “sexual in nature.”

“When the Chad Reid case came up

he was automatically told to go home and notify him of the outcome of the investigation,” Hall said.

“As soon as the complaint was brought against me, I immediately had to go on leave. He was still working well after the complaint was against him,” Reid said.

For around a week Reid, who started at Shorter in July 2016 and won a national championship, thought he was going to return to work following the investigation, which was conducted by Hall, Paula Penson the director of campus safety and Anthony Chatmon, director of residence life and student conduct.

At the conclusion of the investigation, they found “there was no evidence” of sexual harassment and described the accusation as “really so vague,” Hall said, the three of them felt there was no reason for Reid needing to leave his position.

In a meeting with Humphries Oct. 17, the three of them shared their conclusion with him. However, Humphries made the call himself that Reid was to either resign or be terminated, Hall said.

The next day Reid was told of his options and chose to resign. In a letter Hall sent to Reid, who requested it to keep on record if he needed it for other jobs, Hall wrote, “It is the recommendation from my office that you be allowed to return to your position as head cheerleading coach at Shorter University.”

Also on Oct. 18, Penson filed a verbal complaint alleging sexual and work harassment against her by Humphries. Then on Oct. 25, she filed a written complaint, which included details of inappropriate touching, against Humphries, who resigned from his post Nov. 8, Penson said. But, despite the complaints being filed, he continued to work up to the day he resigned and was never put on administrative leave, according to Penson, Hall and Reid.

“It’s a big difference,”

between the two cases, Hall said.

“(Reid) didn’t even … come close to touching anybody,” he said. “It was just some texts. He was trying to be friendly to the cheerleaders.”

Reid said he had offered through text messages for one of his female cheerleaders to come and pick up a nutrition book at his home. He also, as he did for the rest of the team, offered for her to come do her laundry at his home, instead of having to do it on campus in the dorm laundry room. He said clothes are frequently taken from the dorm laundry room.

About a month prior to the complaint, Reid had taken the girl to the hospital due to her being severely dehydrated from trying to lose weight. The book he had bought her for her 21st birthday was from nutritionist Mike Dolce and pertained to cutting weight without putting an individual’s health at risk, he said.

She had been doing laundry when she told him she wasn’t sure if she could come by his house to pick up the gift, Reid said, prompting him to extend the offer. She never came over to his home.

“Trust me, I get how it looks,” Reid said. “And I’ve learned through this it just wasn’t the best way to do it.”

From the incident and the subsequent complaint, Reid said he should have set better boundaries.

All he said he was trying to do was to reach out to a player who was going through a rough time.

“You have to adjust how you coach based on the person,” he said, adding that building personal relationships helps him better understand the best way to reach a player.

Also on the date of his resignation, Reid was issued a criminal trespass warning, prohibiting him from coming on Shorter property. Hall said Humphries was never issued such a warning, despite Penson being concerned for her safety with the possibility of Humphries harming her while they both remained on campus for work.

‘As soon as the complaint was brought against me, I immediately had to go on leave. He was still working well after the complaint was against him.’ Chad Reid former cheerleading coach