Update Regarding Law Enforcment Academy

“The University takes this situation very seriously and has worked consistently over the past six months to proactively address the allegations, so I want to provide that update to the communities we serve,” said SEMO President Dr. Brad Hodson. “Preserving and enhancing the institution’s academic integrity has been the primary objective with each of the actions outlined below.  

“Upon learning of the allegations made against the SEMO Law Enforcement Academy, we immediately took three actions,” Hodson continued. “First, we moved the POST exam out of the classroom and into the University’s professional Testing Services Center to strengthen testing protocols. Second, we began discussing the path forward with the Cape County Prosecuting Attorney and the Academy’s accreditor, the Missouri Department of Public Safety. And, finally, third, we hired Husch-Blackwell, a national law firm, to do an independent, third-party investigation of the allegations made against our instructors and students.” 

While there are laws that govern what we can and cannot share with the public and media regarding this student and employee situation, particularly during an open investigation where we must respect the work of our law enforcement partners, the following is a summary of University actions taken since being notified: 

• Immediately upon learning of allegations of academic misconduct during the administration of the December 9, 2025, Missouri Peace Officer License Exam, Southeast Missouri State University: 
  1. Confirmed with the Cape County Prosecuting Attorney the University’s role to investigate and the likely steps that would follow the investigation; 
  2. Engaged Husch-Blackwell, a national law firm, to conduct a comprehensive and impartial investigation; and 
  3. Shared information with and sought input from the Academy’s accreditor, the Missouri Department of Public Safety (MDPS). 

• Findings of the investigation were shared with the MDPS, and MDPS offered input on appropriate next steps.  
• The University followed all MDPS recommendations on student conduct and personnel decisions. While there is a desire among media outlets to know additional details about actions taken regarding University personnel and students, we will not disclose those details as we are not legally allowed to do so.  
• The University moved administration of the exam to its on-campus Testing Services Center, which is accredited by the National College Testing Association.  
• The University moved other Academy tests to third-party or online platforms, rather than in-class proctored exams.  
• The University moved supervision of the Law Enforcement Academy to its Department of Criminal Justice, Social Work and Sociology, chaired by Dr. Brian Donavant, a 30+ year law enforcement veteran.   
• Following the completion of the external investigation by Husch-Blackwell in April, the Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney announced a criminal investigation of one individual to be conducted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. SEMO has received no notification that the University, the Law Enforcement Academy, which is a separate and distinct entity from the University’s Criminal Justice academic program, nor the University Police Department are under investigation.   
• Finally, a letter was sent to nearly 70 law enforcement CEOs throughout the 8th Congressional District advising them: (1) of the leadership changes at the Academy; (2) that the spring 2026 Academy graduates completed the Academy and graduated on schedule; (3) that the Academy is actively accepting applications for the fall 2026 cohort; and (4) that the University will host a law enforcement roundtable this summer to hear from agency leaders directly about how the Academy can continue to meet their needs.  

“The University is saddened by the actions taken by some individuals during the administration of the December 9, 2025, POST exam,” Hodson said. “Their actions do not represent the high standards we hold all faculty, staff, and students to, nor does it represent how seriously we take our role in educating the next generation of law enforcement professionals. We are confident the steps taken regarding the Academy’s leadership, instructors, fall 2025 cadets, and testing protocols have put the Law Enforcement Academy back on track following this incident and in restoring trust and confidence in the program among our regional law enforcement partners.”