Jayden Williams, Georgia’s youngest Black mayor, removed from office after investigation

Williams, who became Stockbridge’s youngest mayor at 22, disputed the investigation’s findings and plans to consider an appeal.

Jayden Williams’ historic tenure as mayor of Stockbridge, Georgia, has come to an abrupt end.

The Stockbridge City Council voted Saturday to remove Williams, 23, from office following a nearly 10-hour hearing into allegations involving city spending, his treatment of employees and communications with an 18-year-old high school student.

Williams became Stockbridge’s youngest mayor when he took office in January at age 22. His removal comes less than a year after he was elected and made history as the youngest Black mayor in Georgia.

The council’s decision followed an independent investigation into Williams’ conduct and use of city resources. According to CBS News Atlanta, Williams testified that some of the questioned purchases were related to city business and that his use of a city purchasing card for personal expenses was unintentional.

Mayor Pro Tem Elton Alexander, who will serve as interim mayor, defended the council’s decision.

“The results of the investigation demanded we act,” Alexander said.

City Attorney Quinton Washington said the council considered the allegations collectively.

“When taken in concert together, the employee treatment, all of those things were things that they felt like did not uphold the standard that Stockbridge would like to see in its mayor,” Washington said.

Williams’ attorney, Robert Kenner Jr., disputed the council’s conclusions.

“What happened tonight was very disappointing,” Kenner said. “I don’t believe that it was based on any evidence. I think it was based on a personal grudge against the mayor.”

The allegations involving Williams’ communications with the 18-year-old student were also reviewed by police. Investigators did not pursue criminal charges, according to CBS.

Williams’ path to the mayor’s office was notable long before the controversy. He graduated from Dutchtown High School in 2021 before attending Clark Atlanta University, where he studied political science. He graduated from the HBCU in December 2025, just weeks before taking office, according to NBC News.

Before becoming mayor, Williams served as Stockbridge’s youth mayor and chaired the city’s planning commission. His campaign biography describes his political involvement as beginning when he was 13.

Now, Williams has the right to appeal his removal in Henry County Superior Court, according to CBS. The city is expected to begin preparations for a special election to determine Stockbridge’s next mayor.

Williams has not conceded the allegations, and his attorney has indicated they will discuss an appeal.