Tennessee School Board Member Charged with Assault

A school board member from Tennessee is facing assault charges following an incident during a public meeting where he made inappropriate comments to a female high school student. This situation came to light when it was reported that Keith Irvin, a member of the Washington County Schools Board of Education, allegedly called a student “hot” and tried to touch her.

Video footage shows Irvin leaning toward a student and saying, “God, it’s hot, you know that? … Where do you go to school?” When the student mentioned attending David Crockett High School, he responded with excitement, “Okay!” According to reports, this incident happened on April 2 during a school board meeting, and the video is available on the district’s YouTube channel, starting at the one-hour and sixteen-minute mark.

Following public outcry, the school board voted to censure Irvin on April 8, and by April 27, the Washington County Commission issued a vote of no confidence against him. Irvin has a prior allegation from 2009 concerning inappropriate actions in front of a class at the same high school.

Irvin has since stated that the recorded footage from the meeting lacks context, claiming that he was merely complimenting the student’s questioning style.

On Monday, assault charges were officially filed against him, pinpointing the incident as occurring on April 2. Washington County Schools Superintendent Jerry Boyd confirmed that the board had acknowledged the assault charge.

Boyd emphasized the concern of the board regarding the well-being of the student involved, stating that such actions were unacceptable and did not align with the values of the school district. He expressed hopes for the student’s support and reiterated that the board is committed to providing a safe environment for all students.

The father of the student voiced his concerns on social media about Irvin’s conduct and criticized the lack of action from the other board members during the incident.

Additionally, on May 7, the student addressed the Board of Education, expressing frustration, labeling some members as “cowards,” and denouncing Irvin’s comments as sexist and derogatory.

Boyd mentioned the board’s limitations regarding individual member discipline but assured that improvements in meeting conduct will be considered moving forward. He added that as a father and educator, he found the incident unexpected and distressing, and he hopes that future meetings reflect a higher standard of professionalism.