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Audit: Ga. Tech professor using school trips for sexual escapades

ATLANTA — State authorities want to know if a prominent Georgia Tech professor was using university trips for sexual escapades.

Channel 2's Richard Belcher has learned the state Board of Regents has asked the Attorney General's Office to investigate the travel expenses of Professor Michael Meyer, which totaled $85,820 over the past four years.  His last recorded salary was $216,721.

Georgia Tech paid Professor Michael Meyer a big salary, and records show he spent nearly $100,000 on state travel in the most recent four years.

It is the travel that raised suspicions.

Meyer is a former chairman of Georgia Tech's department of civil engineering and an internationally recognized expert on urban transportation.

But sexually suggestive emails written while Professor Meyer was traveling for Georgia Tech caught the attention of Georgia Tech's legal office, which called in the auditors.

The report's now being reviewed at the state Attorney General's Office.

One of the references in it is to a 2011 trip that Meyer took to Bangkok, Thailand and there's a specific reference to the Nana hotel.

The report said it's known for being right next to Bangkok's red light district.

In an email about the trip, Meyer said, "The Nana is everything you said it was....great location!!!!!" He went on to say, "I want to tell you the sex trade is unbelievable. Gorgeous women to stay the night with you for $30 to $40."

The audit includes a picture of the professor and notes, "Dr. Meyer's travel expenses certainly give the appearance of thinly veiled vacations."

The professor's attorney sent Belcher an email in which Meyer denies any violation of law or university policy.

He said university investigators made little to no effort to interview him and said that he had discretion about how to spend the funds in question and all expenses were approved by Georgia Tech.

Meyer retired suddenly before the audit was completed.

Georgia Tech sent Belcher an email saying the university initiated the investigation after receiving reports of inappropriate behavior and that Georgia Tech holds it employees to the highest standards.

It is unclear when the Attorney General's Office will complete its review.

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