A judge denied a former Clayton County school board member's bid to regain his seat Monday, allowing next month's election in that district to go on.

Clayton County Superior Court Judge Deborah Benefield denied Norreese Haynes' request to halt the July 15 election in District 8, according to court records.

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On Monday, Benefield dismissed Haynes' suits against the school board and county elections officials.

The school board removed Haynes from his District 8 seat March 3 after Clayton police found he did not live in the county.

Two weeks later, Haynes sued the school board, alleging he was illegally removed. Last month, Benefield told Haynes that he sued the wrong party.

Haynes then sued the county elections and registration office for scheduling a special election to fill his seat.

In her ruling Monday, Benefield denied Haynes' request for a hearing, saying he failed to file an appeal against the elections office within the mandated 10 days.

Haynes' attorney Preston Haliburton called the judge's decision "politics" and said he will file an appeal in state court along with a suit in federal court.

"It is very difficult to get any justice in the so-called Justice Center in Clayton County," Haynes said in a statement Tuesday. "We have a judge in this instance who apparently would rather affirm the illegal actions of a rogue school board rather than to grant me my right to an evidentiary hearing."

Benefield declined to comment.

Board attorneys Julie Lewis and Winston Denmark and district spokesman Charles White did not return five phone calls Tuesday.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools ordered the Clayton school system to meet nine mandates by Sept. 1 or lose accreditation. One of those mandates is to ensure every school board member lives in the county.

An investigation by the secretary of state's office found all board members -- including Haynes -- lived in the county.

Elementary school teacher Alieka Anderson, who is running for the District 8 seat, said she was pleased the race can continue without the added burden of a former board member.

"Now we can focus on the issues and improving the school district," she said.

Ed Rigdon, Anderson's opponent in the District 8 race, said he was pleased Haynes got his due process.

"If he had been put back on the board, it would be a huge step backward," said Rigdon, head of the marketing department at Georgia State University. "Now we can move forward. The game is on."