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The president of Jacksonville State University was granted medical leave after nine men were arrested in conjunction with an investigation into several instances of alleged rape of minors. Why exactly President John Beehler is taking the leave is unclear, but a statement from the university released Monday suggested that it was unrelated to the allegations.
The Board of Trustees met Saturday in an emergency meeting to discuss the arrests, investigation and possible lawsuits. During this meeting they determined that medical leave was applicable. Beehler, who has been president of JSU since 2015, will take a 90-day family medical leave starting Oct. 1, according to the Anniston Star.
Family and medical leave is a federal law that mandates that employees can take up to 12 unpaid workweeks off without the threat of losing their job. According to the JSU website, applications for family medical leave must be submitted 30 days in advance of the leave if foreseeable or as soon as the issue becomes known.
Two underage girls were raped and sodomized on and near the JSU campus in six incidents from January to early September, Al.com reported. Five of the six reported incidents happened on campus.
The nine men arrested ranged in age from 18 to 22. They were arrested for second-degree rape, with the exception of one, who was charged with second-degree sodomy.
A statement from Jacksonville State said in part: "President John M. Beehler confirms that he has requested and been granted 90 days’ family medical leave by the Board of Trustees of Jacksonville State University effective Oct. 1 due to serious medical issues involving several close family members that require his full, immediate attention." (Note: This item has been updated from an earlier version to add the university's statement.)
