Young Stockbridge mayor faces ethics questions over text messages with 18-year-old high schooler; no crime found, police say

A Henry County court has delayed a hearing in the city investigation involving Stockbridge Mayor Jayden Williams to determine whether Councilwoman Lakisha Gantt should be recused over potential bias, a dispute that could affect who may participate in the proceedings and review investigative materials.

The court is now expected to hold a virtual recusal hearing Aug. 31 to determine whether Gantt can participate in or review materials connected to the investigation. The underlying investigation is expected to return for a hearing Sept. 12.

The procedural dispute comes as new details contained in a police report raise additional questions about the circumstances at the center of the city's investigation.

As the mayor of Stockbridge is under investigation for allegedly misusing a city credit card, allegations over sexual misconduct with an 18-year-old high school student emerged.

A Stockbridge police investigation found no evidence of criminal activity involving Mayor Jayden Williams but raised ethical and professional concerns after investigators uncovered sexually explicit communications between the elected official and an 18-year-old high school student who joined his political mentorship program.

The findings are detailed in a six-page Stockbridge Police Department report obtained by CBS News Atlanta.

Police said they found no evidence of criminal activity involving Williams. The student told investigators he was 18 when the two met; Georgia's age of consent is 16.

Police said the messages were discovered during an unrelated burglary investigation involving the student, who was an 11th grader at the time.

According to the report, detectives interviewed the student at Eagles Landing High School on Feb. 9 after receiving information linking him to a Jan. 26 burglary. During the interview, police said the student admitted to the burglary and expressed concern that being charged could hurt his future political aspirations.

The student told investigators he was enrolled in the City of Stockbridge mentorship program under Williams and asked to text the mayor before being taken into custody, according to the report.

Police later obtained a search warrant for the student's phone as part of the burglary investigation. Investigators said the most recent outgoing message was to a contact identified as Williams.

A review of the message thread showed their communication began on Dec. 1, 2025, according to police.

The report describes some early conversations as focused on mentorship, employment and civic involvement. But investigators said the messages only minutes later became personal, flirtatious and sexually suggestive.

Williams was elected mayor on Nov. 4, 2025, and took office Jan. 1, according to the police report. The student later told investigators that he first connected with Williams through Instagram on Nov. 30 after responding to a post about joining the mayor's political mentorship program.

Police say conversations moved beyond mentorship

Investigators documented messages in which Williams allegedly asked the student about his sexual orientation and dating experience and acknowledged that he had recently turned 18.

The report says the conversation later escalated into sexual discussion and references to exchanging photographs.

At one point, according to the messages documented by investigators, Williams allegedly told the student that their conversation "better stay between us." The student responded that disclosure "wouldn't be good for your public image," according to the report.

On Dec. 29, 2025, the report says the two argued about their relationship and the student suggested that disclosure could damage Williams' career. The student also asked whether he could remain both Williams' mentee and become "friends with benefits," according to investigators. Williams responded that they could "possibly become something over time," the report says.

During a Feb. 10, 2026, follow-up interview at the Henry County Jail, the student told investigators that he and Williams had exchanged nude photographs through Instagram and Snapchat.

The student told police he was already 18 when the two met. He also said he did not want to damage Williams' reputation but acknowledged that being an 11th-grade student involved in the mayor's mentorship program could raise ethical concerns.

Investigators found no evidence of a crime

Stockbridge police explicitly concluded that investigators had established no evidence of criminal activity involving Williams, noting that the student was 18 and considered an adult under Georgia law.

Still, investigators wrote that the relationship appeared to have gone beyond a professional or mentorship role and described the communications as "explicit and inappropriate" between an elected official and a high school student participating in the official's city-sponsored mentorship program.

Police said additional sexually explicit messages and a screen recording of the full conversation were preserved as evidence.

The report was forwarded for administrative review and consideration by the Stockbridge Board of Ethics.

Investigators wrote that the nature of the communications and the mentorship relationship raised "ethical and professional concerns" because the student met Williams through his interest in the political mentorship program.

CBS News Atlanta reached out to Mayor Jayden Williams to ask whether he remained involved in the mentorship program.

We will update this article accordingly if we get a response.

This is a developing story. Check back with CBS News Atlanta for updates.