Georgia Southern’s campus police chief departed quietly from her post back in August and remains on the books as the named chief of the agency, despite emails suggesting she has left for good.
Chief Laura Mccullough retired effective November 1, 2024 to deal with family matters, but public records show that the retirement, which began August 31, 2024, came about shortly after an investigation probed the effectiveness of her leadership and whether or not she was having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.
Also during this time, the department lost its accreditation as it pertains to an evidence room, relationships with agencies in the region reportedly declined, reports were backlogged tremendously, and morale of the department plummeted.
The combination of complaints and evidence-based data prompted the university to launch an investigation.
Timeline
February 9, 2024
An ‘Unfair Employment Practices’ report was submitted.
May 30, 2024
Vice President of Business and Finance requested an investigation by Human Resources into Georgia Southern PD due to ‘observations, department performance in a certification review, concerns shared from private community members, and various staff across campus.’ The listed concerns to investigate included:
- Potential time theft by Chief Laura McCullough and Lieutenant Katie Hodges.
- Lack of leadership presence and/or engagement by Chief Laura McCullough.
- Lack of accountability for staff not following policies/procedures.
- Potential amorous relationship between Chief Laura McCullough and Lieutenant Katie Hodges.
- Potential violations of the University’s Nepotism policy.
- Toxic workplace – individuals report passive aggressive comments and behaviors and an overall lack of respect throughout the department
- Responding to or choosing not to respond to employee concerns/incidents independent of Human Resources guidance and support
June 3, 2024
McCullough mentions to other staff that people are concerned with her not being on campus and are following her.
June 6, 2024
A number of interviews are conducted with GSU PD staff.
August 23, 2024
McCullough emails Georgia Southern PD at 4:34 pm on a Friday that she will be retiring to ‘best support the needs’ of her family. The retirement date is listed as November 1, 2024, but she stated she would be out of the office beginning August 31, 2024 – eight days from the email date.
November 6, 2024
Open Records Request for roster of PD shows that Mccullough is Chief of Police (full time) and Lester Drawdy is Interim Chief of Police (full time)
Details of the Investigation
The investigation, conducted by Chief HR Officer Vickie Cobb and two others, yielded photos, time observation logs, videos and emails, in addition to details shared in interviews.
Photos and videos show Mccullough’s agency-issued Tahoe parked at the residence of Hodges on various days, instances in which Hodges was dropped off at the office in Mccullough’s agency-issued Tahoe, and a number of days in which Hodges and McCullough arrived and/or left the agency together in the same vehicle.
- 12 photos showing them arriving or departing office together in Tahoe between 12/5/23 and 5/29/24
- 10 instances between 12/5/23 and 5/29/24 of Tahoe at the same off-campus location/home
The file also included:
- A March 2023 email to Mccullough from a GSU PD Captain outlining three instances where a sergeant directly or indirectly ‘violated someone’s 4th amendment rights or indirectly allowed it based on poor knowledge of search and seizure practices.’
- POST records indicating that Hodges was hired by Georgia Southern PD in April 2021 and promoted to a Corporal on March 18, 2023. Four and a half months later, on July 31, 2023, Hodges was again promoted to a Lieutenant.
Notes from Interviews with Other Employees in June 2024
Employee #1
Stated there were leadership concerns and appearance of a relationship between Mccullough and Hodges, fears of retaliation. Stated that Hodges was promoted to Lieutenant despite other tenured and more qualified individuals in line. Stated Hodges told [the employee] that she lived with the chief for a period of time after a prior relationship imploded.
Reported that Hodges stopped a vehicle with intoxicated individuals and let them stay in the vehicle if they promised not to drive. They did drive and the vehicle ended up in the lake. Stated there was no conversation with Hodges about handling of situation.
Employee #2
Stated the belief was that the personal relationship between the two dated back to at least summer of 2023.
Employee #3
Stated he was already experiencing retaliation. Stated Mccullough would ride with Hodges until midnight, despite having ‘office hours 8-5,’ and would come to work with Hodges at the time of her shift. “This went on for months.” He also stated that the two were seen at various retail stores on weekends.
Said Mccullough also covered up or turned a blind eye to an ongoing sexual relationship between a supervisor and supervisee.
Alleged that Mccullough attempted to “sabotage” one of her own officers who received an instructor certification, which would have prevented Hodges from getting the Lieutenant promotion.
Records included in the ORR showed that administrators contacted POST about the certification and Mccullough wrote in an email that she didn’t understand how the coursework could equate to the certification. She said POST needed to get their “poop in a group.” The certification was valid and creditworthy, but was later rescinded by POST after Mccullough’s inquiries.
“It’s been a terrible place to work for the last year.”
Finally, the employee was told by Mccullough that he needed to “be a better father on his own time” when he had to take off work because he needed to assist the primary caregiver with their child.
“At best, asleep at the wheel and at worst – negligent and immoral.”
Employee #4
Was told he couldn’t patrol certain parts of campus after he observed the chief’s agency-issued Tahoe at Hodge’s house and that he would routinely be asked when he is leaving the agency by chief and Hodges.
Stated Mccullough stayed until midnight or later with Hodges when Chief’s significant other was out of town. “They spend every waking moment together.”
Shared that Hodges was not disciplined for violating the no pursuit policy after she ‘chased someone down for running a stop sign.’
Shared that Mccullough told a female employee who was pregnant not to expect her [chief] to feel sorry for her. “It’s not my fault that you opened your legs.”
Employee #5
Stated that Chief inquired about what kind of options the PD had for sound machines for noise cancellation and stated that the Chief had been working odd hours.
Employee #6
This employee referred to Mccullough as ‘a good boss.’ Stated “Our morale is not the best. If we start writing everyone up, they’ll go elsewhere.”
Employee #7
Favorable to Mccullough but said “Chief seems to have lost some respect” and said she [chief] spends time with Hodges because she “wants her to succeed.” Stated only policy violations they [employee #8] is aware of is employment of family member of employee #6.
Said the ones who have issues with chief are “whining babies,” but “I wanted to talk with Chief about the rumors- shouldn’t hang out as much – but didn’t say anything.” Stated if Employee #1 would leave, things would be better and he should have taken a position out of state.
Employee #8
Stated that Hodges and Mccullough have Sonic traditions and sometimes leave for two hours at a time. Stated he saw them at a traffic light and they were behind him. Stated the body language was “very odd.” Verified story about Mccullough attempting to intervene with the instructor certification of another employee (mentioned by Employee #4). Stated Mccullough said “it wasn’t fair” to Hodges.
Stated he was present when Mccullough said she was headed home. Mccullough replied “OK. I’ll meet you there in a minute.”
Mccullough was interviewed June 6, 2024
Stated “they’re” following her every movement. When asked why people might believe she is in a relationship with Hodges, Mccullough stated, “We are really close. If I had a child, she would be my child. We have a similar humor, thought about our work, and our personalities are very similar. We get along very easily. She is not afraid to come and tell me things.”
- She said people are only fixated on the two of them because of their sexuality.
- With regard to leadership, Mccullough said her employees do not speak freely when she is around.
- She was asked why she inquired with the university in February 2024 about who was accessing camera footage at the PD, but no answer is notated in the notes.
Hodges was interviewed on June 17, 2024
She told HR that she feels like she’s been target since she was promoted to Lieutenant. Stated that she did not receive favoritism and worked hard for her position.
Investigation Conclusions
None of the documents indicate on which date the investigation was closed.
Potential time theft by Chief Laura McCullough and Lieutenant Katie Hodges.
Unsubstantiated
While the presence of leadership (not just McCullough and Hodges) was questioned by witnesses, there is nothing substantial to show a true theft of time. However, it should be noted that command staff and supervisors appear to come and go as they please without any formal flex agreement in place. However, it should also be noted that the nature of the work in the department requires extended hours, weekends and non-traditional schedules.
Video and photo evidence is inconclusive regarding time theft. While it shows there is relatively consistently a gap of time in which the Chief is not present in the building, there are also instances showing the Chief working later hours, utilizing leave and attending meetings outside the building. By her own admission, Chief will leave the building to take private calls (usually, but not always work related), attend meetings, ride campus to see what is happening, etc. This is all allowable and within the scope of her job. While a photo was provided of Chief McCullough and Lt. Hodges shopping in what appears to be Ollie’s, there is no metadata associated with the photo provided to confirm this was during work hours.
Lack of leadership presence and/or engagement by Chief Laura McCullough.
Partially substantiated
It is apparent that command staff, including Chief Laura McCullough, do not engage with front line staff in a meaningful way and across the board. McCullough does ride with Hodges, but it is apparent that the same support is not distributed throughout the organization. This, however, could be expanded to all leadership in the department.
Lack of accountability for staff not following policies/procedures.
Substantiated
All witnesses indicated that there need to be clear policies, processes, etc in place to hold individuals accountable to expectations. While stressing the importance of maintaining officer discretion, clear and measurable expectations clearly communicate required actions, suggested actions and unacceptable actions.
Potential amorous relationship between Chief Laura McCullough and Lieutenant Katie Hodges.
Unsubstantiated
No evidence or interviews with witnesses pointed to a violation of the amorous relationship policy.
Potential violations of the University’s Nepotism policy.
Substantiated
As evidenced in conversations with Chief McCullough and Lt. Hodges, they do spend significant amounts of time together. McCullough identified the relationship to be mother-daughter type, while Hodges indicated it was like a mentor relationship since she admires the Chief and wants to be like her in the future.
By their own admission in interviews, Chief McCullough and Lt. Hodges have a familial type relationship. Specifically, the Nepotism policy defines a relationship that is violation of the policy as “…. or other personal relationship in which objectivity might be impaired.” While perhaps not intentional, the relationship between the two has impacted the workplace minimally through a perceived conflict of interest.
Toxic workplace – individuals report passive aggressive comments and behaviors and an overall lack of respect throughout the department
No definitive conclusion, but listed as a consistent theme:
From a workplace culture perspective, there were multiple reports of command staff not engaging with patrol and front line staff in a meaningful way on the Statesboro campus. This results in a “us versus them” mentality at all levels.
Responding to or choosing not to respond to employee concerns/incidents independent of Human Resources guidance and support
No definitive conclusion
Georgia Southern PD Currently
Mccullough’s retirement was not announced on the GSU PD Facebook page – in August or November.
Pictures on the agency Facebook show Lester Drawdy, Chief of Police at East Georgia State College, in photo ops with new hires and promoted individuals over the last few months. As of November 6, 2024 Mccullough was listed as the Chief of Police on the roster obtained by the Georgia Southern Police Department and Lester Drawdy was listed as the Interim Chief of Police. Both are named full-time employees.
