UPDATE: Hinesville Mayor and Council released a statement addressing the allegations surrounding the city manager at a special called meeting Oct. 22. Mayor Allen Brown addressed those in attendance, including Howard.

“Mr. Howard’s long and exemplary record of service to the City of Hinesville has earned him the trust and confidence of the Mayor and Council. The misdemeanor warrants recently issued against several prominent supporters of Fort State Valley University including Mr. Howard do not diminish this title. As noted by the district attorney, responsible for this case, these warrants are mere allegations. Mr. Howard denies any wrong doing, is presumed innocent, unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Importantly, such misdemeanor allegations do not involve misconduct and are unrelated to Mr. Howard’s job performance. For this reason, Mayor and Council intend that Mr. Howard continue as City Manager pending final disposition of this case, so long as the affairs of the city are not adversely affected. The Mayor and Council are persuaded that this decision is in the best interest of the city, the Mayor and Council promise to continue to work with Mr. Howard to improve the lives of Hinesville residents and trust that the judicial system will resolve this matter without significant delay."

Howard has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Fort Valley State University, he possesses 25 years of local government experience and he is currently serving as the Hinesville City Manager since Jan. 2018. Previously, he served as Hinesville Assistant City Manager from 1995-2018. He is a member of the Georgia Municipal Association and the International City Management Association, and was the past president for the Georgia City/County Management Association.

Howard is one of seven people charged in a Fort Valley State University sex scandal following a month long investigation by the GBI, according to various news reports. The alleged misconduct is reported to have occurred in 2017 and 2018. See previous related article: Arrest warrant issued for City Manager.

The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in question with involvement with the Fort Valley State University sex scandal has been reactivated by the AKA’s regional office. On Oct. 12, the Alpha Beta Chapter of AKA sorority Inc., was returned to active status after an investigation was “not able to substantiate allegations of unauthorized activities or misconduct” by the chapter.

“We aggressively addressed the allegations and have continued to move forward,” said Cedric Mobley, the Special Assistant to the President for Strategic Marketing and Communications.

According to the Peach County Sheriff’s Office, Howard has not turned himself in as of Oct. 22. The deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 23. 

The Courier reached out to Howard and he declined to comment on whether he’s turned himself in to the Peach County Sheriff’s Department.

The Courier reached out to former District 5 council member Kenneth Shaw, and he confirmed that his recent resignation was not connected to allegations made against the City Manager.