The Hall County School Board’s newest member arrested for driving under the influence said he’ll fight the charges.
Mark Pettitt, 26, was pulled over on Butler Parkway and Jesse Jewell Parkway in Gainesville just before 2 a.m. Saturday for failing to stay his lane, according to police.
It was determined that he was impaired by alcohol and unable to drive, according to the Gainesville Police report. He was taken to Hall County Jail.
In a post on his Facebook page, Pettitt said he plans to “defend this accusation” and said he plans on “resolving this matter in a way that will restore trust.”
Pettitt is scheduled to be sworn in as a school board member on Dec. 27.
Gordon Higgins, director of communications for Hall County Schools, said there is nothing about Pettitt’s criminal charges that would preclude him from serving as a board member.
“It is a very unfortunate circumstance for the board and the community, but he was elected and sworn in by the citizens of Hall County and we always honor election results,” Higgins said.
The school board does not plan to take any punitive action against Pettitt when it reconvenes in January.
“With any case such as this, we want to respect and honor the judicial system – innocence until proven guilty,” Higgins said. “The board respects those laws. It’s just very unfortunate.”
