MSU cop under investigation, on 'restricted' duty after woman granted protective order

An Anaconda-Deer Lodge County woman was granted a protection order in June against a Montana State University Police Department detective after she accused him of raping her earlier this year.

The woman wrote in a court document that the detective, Gregory Mauldin, “was so persistent and would not take no for an answer” when they were at his apartment in early March. In an effort to protect alleged victims of sexual assault, the Montana State News Bureau does not typically name victims.

“I fear for safety because I was raped,” she wrote.

The legal threshold to get a protective order is far lower than that needed to charge someone with a crime. In many cases, an accuser must only prove that they believe they are in danger of being harmed.

Mauldin has been on “restricted duty” with the department since March 26, meaning he is performing administrative tasks and is not participating in criminal investigations or responding to emergency calls, according to Montana State University (MSU) spokesperson Michael Becker. Becker said that MSU Chief of Police Michael Stanley learned about the allegations on March 25.

“Such cases are evaluated based upon the facts of that case and whether it impacts an individual’s ability to do their job,” Becker wrote in an email. “UPD has followed its internal personnel and law enforcement practices in this situation. Det. Mauldin was placed on restricted duty immediately after we were made aware of the situation.”

Mauldin is still carrying his police-issued firearm and badge. Having an active order of protection against you “is a disqualifier for a concealed weapon permit,” according to Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer.

The Bozeman Police Department investigated the allegations and the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office has not yet decided whether to charge Mauldin, according to Jack Veil, executive assistant to the county attorney.

The woman reported the alleged incident to police on March 19 and requested the protection order on April 3. An Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Justice Court judge granted her a year-long order of protection on June 24 after a hearing in which both she and Mauldin appeared.

On April 10, Stanley prepared a document with a list of personnel updates for MSU Vice President of Administration and Finance Terry Leist, and it outlined his concerns.

“Detective Greg Mauldin’s future here is questionable,” Stanley wrote in the document, which was obtained by the Montana State News Bureau.

“The SIWOC [sexual intercourse without consent] case will be filed for prosecution (unknown if it will be prosecuted or not) and today I received a copy of temporary order of protection that he is listed as the respondent on. With each new step in this process, the integrity of the organization becomes the question. I can explain this more,” it continued.

But until mid-July, more than 3 1/2 months after Stanley became aware of the allegations, Mauldin’s contact information was one of a small number of people listed on the university police’s website entitled “Sexual Assault Victim Information: Resources and Information for Survivors.” His name and phone number appear to have been removed around July 16.

Katrina Bolger, an investigator with the Montana Public Safety Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council, the qausi-judicial arm of the Montana Department of Justice that can discipline public safety officers for misconduct, said the council was notified of the issues by MSU on July 11.

“There is no specific timeline for reporting to POST, and until the Bozeman Police Department investigation was complete and the matter was sent to the Gallatin County attorney, there was not sufficient information to share with the POST director,” Becker said when asked about the reporting timeline.

Montana University System Board of Regents spokesperson Leanne Kurtz said the system’s governing board learned of the allegations through an anonymous tip received Monday.

In response to that tip, Carter Jasper, a student regent and a senior at the University of Montana, sent an email to the other board members on Tuesday that was obtained by the Montana State News Bureau. Jasper wrote that he was “very concerned why it was allowed to fester this long if it’s been known since April 10th.”

“I think the detective must be put on suspension today, with an independent investigation, and a review of the chief of police and VP Leist for at the very least, their incredible lack of judgement,” the email continued.

The Anaconda-Deer Lodge County woman reported that she was raped at Mauldin’s apartment in Bozeman in early March. According to her sworn testimony, she was there to talk about the film industry along with another woman who was present. She wrote that Mauldin was drinking alcohol, and at one point, the other woman appeared to have fallen asleep.

“Greg was on the floor next to me and started saying vulgar things to me and he started groping me at that time, I kept telling him to stop and he didn't and he was in my face glaring at me and kept telling me to kiss him and do sexual things, he was so persistent and would not take no for an answer,” the woman’s petition reads. “I kissed him and told him I felt like something bad was going to happen if I didn't kiss him and he said, ‘yes.’”

She said they eventually moved to the bathroom where she says she kept telling him she did not want to be touched by him.

“Eventually he forced himself on me,” she added in the court testimony.

The woman also wrote that she had abrasions on her scalp following the incident.

Her attorney, Marthe VanSickle, declined to comment for this story, citing the ongoing investigation. The alleged victim also declined to comment on advice of her attorney.

“Det. Mauldin has not been charged with a crime. If he is ultimately charged, these questions will be a matter for the courts,” Becker wrote in an email when asked for Mauldin’s version of events and his response to the allegations.

“We are called upon to make decisions based on reliable information,” Becker’s email continued. “Based on Chief Stanley’s review of available information, Det. Mauldin’s restrictions are appropriate to the situation. We will continue to monitor the situation, and if additional reliable information is presented, we reserve the right to review and modify his status.”

Mauldin's attorney, Layne Scheveck, declined to comment for this story.

POST can perform its own investigation and levy sanctions even if a county attorney’s office declines to bring charges. Bolger explained that POST will not consider whether to take up an investigation in Mauldin’s case until local law enforcement conclude their inquiries.

There are different degrees of punishment for public safety officers: They can range from varying levels of suspension to the complete revocation of their licenses, leaving them unable to work as a public safety officer in the state.

Mauldin has not had any previous complaints against him with the Montana POST, Bolger said.

Mauldin worked at multiple law enforcement agencies in central Georgia for roughly a decade until late 2021, ending his Georgia career as a deputy sheriff with the Bleckley County Sheriff's Office. Soon after that, Mauldin moved to Montana.