WHITE COUNTY — Emir Caner filed a lawsuit against Truett McConnell University in White County Superior Court on June 5, 2026. The lawsuit alleges that the university's Board of Trustees breached his employment contract when they terminated him.

Caner's lawsuit seeks damages, attorney fees, and other relief related to his dismissal in September 2025. Trustees for Truett McConnell University voted 19-10 to terminate Caner's employment on September 25, 2025.

Caner served as president of Truett McConnell University for more than 17 years. He had signed a 10-year contract extension in 2021, which was scheduled to run through June 30, 2031. The lawsuit argues that the university could only terminate Caner for cause based on the terms of this contract.

The Board of Trustees cited Caner's handling of an investigation and termination of Bradley Reynolds as grounds for his dismissal. Reynolds was the vice president of Academic Services at Truett McConnell University and was terminated in 2024 after disclosing he was under investigation for sexual misconduct. The lawsuit states that Caner had no prior knowledge of Reynolds' alleged misconduct until Reynolds informed him of the investigation. Caner consulted with university counsel before terminating Reynolds and providing a severance package.

The lawsuit alleges that Caner informed the trustees of his actions regarding Reynolds shortly after they occurred. It further alleges that the Board of Trustees took no action against Caner at the time he informed them of his handling of the situation. Trustees suspended Caner and launched an investigation in May 2025, one week after The Roys Report published an investigative report examining allegations involving Reynolds. The report questioned how university leaders handled the matter.

Caner's employment agreement specified a base salary of $272,639.69 annually. His contract also included additional salary increases linked to inflation, university milestones, and graduation rates, with the annual value of his benefits exceeding $133,000.

In early 2024, a woman reported sexual abuse to the White County Sheriff's Office, alleging it occurred while she was a student and later an employee at the university. The woman provided law enforcement with more than 350 emails allegedly sent by Reynolds. An indictment against Reynolds stated he lied to investigators when he claimed he had no sexual relationship with the woman. Reynolds is accused of having an alleged relationship with a former student and employee of the university.