Durham mayor denies former student’s allegations of misconduct
A former Southern High School student has accused Durham Mayor Leo Williams of inappropriate conduct while Williams was a teacher at the school.
Marquise Covington, now 30, posted the allegations on Facebook this week. He said Williams showed him an inappropriate video when he was a junior at the school. The News & Observer has not confirmed the claims; Covington gave his permission for his name to be published.
Williams called the allegation “demonstrably untrue” in a statement released Friday night through his attorney, Daniel Meier of Meier Law Group in Durham.
Williams has an extensive education career in Durham Public Schools. He taught band at Southern High, where he was Teacher of the Year in 2014, he said. He was also Teacher of the Year at Shepard Middle School in 2007, he said.
He left DPS before running for Durham City Council in 2021. Williams is currently serving his second term as mayor, after winning re-election this year.
“The years I spent serving as a public school teacher were among the most gratifying and rewarding times in my life,” the statement said. “I am saddened to learn of troubling, false allegations made by a former student. I condemn these obvious and demonstrably untrue claims about my character, and we are prepared to vigorously fight against these defamatory allegations.”
The News & Observer is not publishing details of Covington’s allegations while we investigate the claims. His original post has been picked up by several Durham Facebook groups and individuals, generating dozens of shares and hundreds of comments this week.
This story was originally published December 19, 2025 at 11:29 PM.