Officials revoke credentials for Atlanta coach accused of punching student

The state agency that oversees high school sports has rescinded a volunteer coach’s certification after he was arrested on charges of simple battery Saturday.

Carl Sledge, 48, a former lay coach at Atlanta’s Benjamin E. Mays High School, appeared to punch a player in the stomach on live television during a timeout in Saturday’s game against Douglas County High School.

“The behavior displayed by this coach is egregious and unacceptable,” Georgia High School Association Executive Director Robin Hines said in an email Tuesday. “The GHSA has revoked his lay coach certification.”

Atlanta Public Schools said in a statement over the weekend that Sledge would face administrative charges from the district in addition to police charges. An APS spokesman said Tuesday that Sledge no longer works for Mays or APS.

An arrest report from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office lists Sledge’s occupation as a truck driver. A $5,000 bond was set for his release, the record shows.

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