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Atlanta School Board terminates Benjamin E. Mays head football coach

Photo: 11Alive

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta School Board has decided in a 5-4 decision to terminate the head football coach for Benjamin E. Mays' High School.

After being accused of misusing finances for the team, Corey Jarvis had been trying to clear his name. He was placed on administrative leave after an external auditor discovered that the team's finances had "not been appropriately managed," and were off by nearly $4000.

During an exclusive interview with 11Alive in May, Jarvis admitted to bad bookkeeping, but said he was "never trained in proper protocol."

During the meeting, several parents expressed their support for Jarvis.

"You took their love from them, you took their heart from them, you took their father image from them," on parent said. "Mays High football team is in need of their coach to be returned to them."

"We need our coach," said Mike McGee, another parent. "This man has been here, he has been a great aide to this community like no one has ever been before."

Despite those calls of innocence and several passionate pleas to the board from parents, Jarvis is out of a job.

11Alive's Duffie Dixon attended the meeting and will have a live report at 11 p.m. Watch 11Alive News for the latest.

The coach had hoped he had enough proof to exonerate his name of the allegations.

In one allegation, Jarvis allegedly paid for $4000-worth of expenses with cash and did not properly record the dates of the spending. They included receipts from visits to University of Georgia and Auburn as well as a 7-on-7 competition at Lassiter High School and getting the field painted for an APS 7-on-7 at Mays.

The second allegation had to do with a check for the team's participation in the Inner City Classic against Southwest DeKalb High School that went to booster president McClain rather than the school's account.

Jarvis was investigated back in January for a $5,700 check that was for the athletes' meals. An outside auditor came in and discovered Jarvis was not keeping a receipt book with dates, but he was exonerated of any wrongdoing regarding that check.

However, that was what led to the discovery of the missing $4,003.

Jarvis has coached Mays for three seasons and is also a teacher at the school. In 2014, his team was the state runner-up after losing in the state championship game. Mays has gone to the playoffs all three years under him. Before arriving at Mays in 2013, he coached at Duluth High School and Martin Luther King, Jr. High School.

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