NATCHEZ — A Natchez man accused of threatening school board member Phillip West at a July meeting pleaded not guilty Tuesday.

Stewart Williams, 26, 760 Liberty Road, was arrested on July 27 and charged with disturbing the peace and simple assault by fear, both misdemeanor charges.

Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said Williams waived his right to a preliminary hearing and the charges would be contested in a trial. The matter should be handled in Adams County Justice Court, but Patten said because of the small size of Justice Court he is going to attempt to move the trial to the Adams County Court.

Patten said the justice court courtroom was packed at Tuesday’s arraignment.

Patten said a trial date has not been set.

School board member and former Natchez mayor Phillip West signed charges against Williams on July 24.

During a July 20 school board meeting, Williams reportedly threatened to drag West out of his seat as Williams approached West in a threatening manner. Williams also allegedly threatened West by saying he knows where West lived.

The school board meeting devolved into chaos when petitioners apparently took offense when West, during a prepared statement, suggested racist motivations were behind petitioners’ efforts to oppose a $9 million bond to improve public schools.

The petition, organized by Kevin and Dana Wilson, was a failed attempt to force the bond issue to a Nov. 7 vote.

Kevin Wilson said Monday at an Adams County Board of Supervisors meeting that Williams was protecting his mother, Dana, who West was reportedly screaming at.

“Any son is going to protect his mother,” Wilson said. “Everyone blew that out of proportion.”

Williams has been released on recognizance.