Protective order stays in place against Georgetown ex-president accused of sex assault
An emergency protective order filed against a former Georgetown College president accused of sexual assault will remain in effect until at least April.
William Jones, who was fired earlier this month from his position as Georgetown College president, appeared in Fayette County court Wednesday after an alleged victim — a school employee — filed for a protective order against him. She alleged in the paperwork for the order that he sexually assaulted and harassed her.
Jones was fired on Nov. 1 after school officials found out he was accused of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior with female employees.
The emergency protective order was kept in place by Fayette County Judge Libby Messer after the two sides agreed to have a status hearing in the case on April 20.
Attorneys for Jones and the alleged victim didn’t make any public comments in court Wednesday morning. They spoke with Messer at the judge’s bench.
In her filing for the emergency protective order, the alleged victim said she believed Jones was a “threat to safety,” according to court records.
The Herald-Leader does not identify sexual assault victims.
“William Jones sexually harassed me in the lobby of (the) hotel before later sexually assaulting me in his hotel room,” the employee wrote. “Multiple times throughout the incident’s timeframe, I told him to stop.”
The assault happened on a work trip in Indianapolis, according to the woman’s filing. The victim wrote in her request for the order that she notified Indianapolis police.
Indianapolis police said Wednesday they don’t comment publicly on cases of a “sensitive nature.” The Indianapolis and Georgetown police departments haven’t yet responded to open records requests filed by the Herald-Leader.
The order, which was filed Nov. 1, requires Jones to stay at least 500 feet away from the alleged victim and from Georgetown College, according to court records.
Georgetown College’s board of trustees fired Jones one day after learning about the allegations against him, according to the college. The school launched an investigation. A spokesperson said Wednesday the school didn’t have any comment on that investigation.
“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,” Board Chairman Robert Mills said in a previous statement.
Reporter Monica Kast contributed to this story.
This story was originally published November 10, 2021 at 10:46 AM.