Tennessee School Board Member Charged After Meeting Assault Allegation

A Washington County, Tennessee school board member has been charged with assault following a public meeting incident involving a teenage student board member. Keith Ervin, a board member since 2006, faces a charge of assault involving physical contact after a grand jury review of an exchange that occurred on April 2.

According to court records, the charge stems from an encounter during a school board meeting where Ervin put his arm around the student, Hannah Campbell, hugging her from the side and telling her, "God, you're hot." The incident was captured on the meeting's livestream. The student had just finished asking questions about career and technical education.

In response to public outcry, the Washington County Board of Education unanimously censured Ervin during an April 8 meeting. A censure is a formal reprimand but does not remove a member from office. In a statement, the board explained that Tennessee law designates school board members as independently elected officials, limiting the board's authority to remove Ervin. The board stated that his actions do not reflect the standards of the school district and that it would defer to law enforcement and the judicial system...