ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — The University of Georgia has fired a tenured professor who officials say covered up a sexual molestation conviction.

Cecil Fore III served time in an Alabama prison in the early 1990s on charges of molesting students under his supervision while he was a junior high school special education teacher.

The 50-year-old was an associate professor of communication science and special education at the university before he was fired on Thursday. He had been at the school since 2001.

School spokesman Tom Jackson said the university fired Fore on Thursday for lying about the conviction. He said Fore provided false information on a security questionnaire.

Fore has referred questions to his lawyer, James Cooper, who declined to comment.