Chickamauga Mayor Trey Deck was removed from office following a 4–1 vote by the City Council after multiple allegations of sexual, inappropriate and offensive conduct were detailed in an internal investigation involving city employees.
Council members voted January 13 to proceed with a public hearing after investigators formally presented their findings. Documents shown during that presentation outlined complaints from several employees describing conduct they said was unwelcome and inappropriate.
According to witness statements included in the investigation, Deck allegedly made sexually suggestive remarks about a female employee’s appearance and joked about placing her on a street corner to make money. Another employee told investigators the woman appeared visibly uncomfortable and attempted to deflect the interaction. The employee later reported confronting Deck about the language, describing herself as feeling “awkward” and “stunned” and stating she did not believe the remarks were intended as a joke.
Additional statements describe incidents in which Deck allegedly touched employees without their consent, including patting shoulders and backs, despite employees verbally objecting with phrases such as “don’t touch me,” according to the investigation summary.
Investigators also cited a voice recording discovered on a city employee’s phone. A transcription of that recording, presented to council members, allegedly contains racist language, including racial slurs, as well as erratic and aggressive remarks.
Employees further told investigators the mayor frequently asserted his authority, allegedly telling staff he was “the mayor” and suggesting he was untouchable, documents show.
Although Deck and his legal team previously stated they would not attend the public hearing due to safety concerns, his attorney, Jeremy Penland, appeared before the council and forcefully disputed the findings. Penland argued the investigation violated Deck’s due process rights and said the mayor was denied a fair opportunity to challenge the allegations.
“This is ridiculous, and I think everybody here knows it is,” Penland said during the hearing. “All we want is a fair fight.”
Deck’s attorneys announced earlier that the mayor would not attend after receiving what they described as a credible threat of violence.
In a statement, they said the decision was made to ensure the safety of the mayor, his representatives and the public.
“After much discussion with family, friends, and counsel, the mayor, and his representatives, have made the decision to not appear before the city council this evening to ensure their safety and the safety of all in attendance,” the statement said.
According to the letter, the law firm of Penland, Romans & Rayburn, GP received a phone call early Monday from an individual who disclosed a threat to harm the mayor and the attorneys representing him during the council meeting. The alleged threat was reported to law enforcement.
The mayor’s office encouraged members of the public to reconsider attending the meeting in person and asked anyone with information regarding the threat to contact the Chickamauga Police Department’s non-emergency line at 706-375-3172.