MACON COUNTY, Ga. — Macon County's Board of Elections has disqualified the Democratic candidate for sheriff from the November ballot.
In a Friday afternoon meeting, the board learned that a state agency removed Jeffery Butch Canady's certification as a law-enforcement officer on June 10.
Board members say this means he can't perform his duties as sheriff.
Canady formerly worked as a Macon County school resource officer and is now retired.
A case summary says Canady was working inside Macon County High School in 2019 when a teen hit him in the back.
The summary says Canady then turned, grabbed the teen and pushed her face-first into a wall as she tried to run away.
It says Canady told her not to touch him again. The teen fell to the ground and Canady walked away.
The use of force broke the teen's glasses.
The teen says she was joking around when she slapped him on the back. She said the incident was her fault and she didn't want Canady to get in trouble.
After further investigation, the school board decided to fire Canady.
You can read the case summary below:
The story continues after this document.
According to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, Canady pleaded guilty in 2023 to using excessive force on a juvenile in the school district.
When he qualified for sheriff in March, POST listed his certification as "pending."
They rejected his certification three weeks after he won Macon County's Democratic primary.
The POST documents say Canady waived his right to appeal the POST ruling.
He was scheduled to face Republican Richard Martin in November.
After a closed session, the board voted unanimously to disqualify Canady.
Here is a list of Canady's employment history:
13WMAZ will update this story when more details are available.
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