Coweta County school system

officials are still in shock this week after the stunning arrest of an

assistant superintendent last week.

Assistant Superintendent of

Operations Chris Jennings was traveling Nov. 26 south on Interstate 85

near LaGrange in his grey Mercedes when a Georgia State Patrol officer

noticed him going 90 miles in a hour in a 70-mph zone, said patrol spokesman

Gordy Wright.

"The trooper noticed his

driving pattern, and when he stopped him, he also detected an aroma of

alcohol," Wright said.

When the trooper asked him

for his driver's license, all Jennings could produce was his photo

ID from the Coweta County School System.

The trooper conducted a field

sobriety test, and then patted Jennings down, where he discovered a vial

containing cocaine in his front pocket, Wright said.

A subsequent search of the

car also turned up another bottle of cocaine in Jennings' shaving

kit in the trunk of his car.

Jennings was taken to the Troup

County Jail and charged with felony possession of cocaine, DUI, obscured

tag, no driver's license, open container violation and speeding.

Coweta County School Superintendent

Peggy Connell said she was made aware of the charges against Jennings

last Wednesday after the incident, and spoke to Jennings that evening.

Dr. Connell said she deeply

regrets the circumstances.

"He's worked for

this school system for almost 32 years, and his work has been wonderful,"

Connell said. "I was glad he was here. He's been a dedicated

and highly capable employee for over 30 years. We were all surprised."

No decision has been made yet

on what course the school system will take regarding Jennings' absence

from his post.