Former Stockbridge, Georgia, Mayor Jayden Williams said he was caught off guard when he was removed from office earlier this month amid allegations of misconduct.
“I didn’t expect this,” he told WSB-TV. “You know, maybe a censure, but definitely not a removal.”
Williams was 23 and had been mayor for less than a year when the Stockbridge City Council ousted him. He was the youngest mayor in the city’s history. His brief tenure came under scrutiny over alleged personal spending involving city funds and his relationship with an 18-year-old high school student.
Jayden Williams, then-Mayor of Stockbridge, speaks onstage during Juneteenth At The Bridge With Common at VyStar Amphitheater at The Bridge on June 19, 2026 in Stockbridge, Ga. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
When WSB-TV asked whether he should have understood that the relationship was inappropriate, Williams replied, “I would have to somewhat agree to that.”
“There was no violation of the oath,” Williams said, according to the station. “I wasn’t even mayor yet.”
Williams also told WSB-TV that the relationship was not sexual.
Jayden L. Williams, then-Mayor of Stockbrige GA, speaks onstage during the 2nd Annual Ologo Golf Tournament hosted by Ne-Yo at Eagles Landing Country Club on April 6, 2026 in Stockbridge, Ga. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
READ MORE: The Famous Rome Saying May Be Wrong, New Study Suggests
NBC News previously reported that Williams acknowledged exchanging nude photographs with the student.
“That’s not abnormal for somebody my age,” Williams said at a City Council meeting, according to NBC News.
A police report concluded that Williams had not committed a criminal offense because Georgia law considers the student an adult.
Williams also admitted using some money for personal purchases. He told WSB-TV the spending came from the mayor’s reallocated $5,000 annual budget rather than the city’s general fund.
“It was not intentional and I paid it back immediately,” he said.
Jayden Williams, then-Mayor of Stockbridge attends “Da ‘Partments 2” Atlanta Screening at Atlantic Station on July 9, 2026 in Atlanta, Ga. (Prince Williams/WireImage)
Williams said the city purchasing card looked much like his personal credit card, according to Fox 5. The cards were later replaced to prevent similar confusion, the outlet reported.
Williams made history as Georgia’s youngest mayor after launching his campaign while attending Clark Atlanta University. He took office in January before the Stockbridge City Council impeached him earlier this month.