Tennessee School Board Member Faces Assault Charges
A school board member from Tennessee, who gained notoriety for spitting on a teenage girl during a livestreamed meeting, is now dealing with assault charges for allegedly touching her as well.
Keith Irvin, on the Washington County School Board, faces these charges following a controversial meeting on April 2. During that meeting, he made inappropriate comments to high school senior Hannah Campbell, as reported by WSMV.
During the meeting, Irvin leaned over and put his arm around Campbell’s shoulders, which was captured on the livestream. He reportedly said, “Oh my god, you’re hot, you know that?” and asked her which school she attended.
The livestream also showed Irvin appearing to squeeze Campbell’s shoulder again after he had left the area. While no one at the meeting initially voiced any concern about his comments, a backlash on social media soon followed.
In response, a petition urging Irvin’s removal circulated quickly, and he faced public condemnation shortly afterward.
This month, Campbell made her feelings known, returning to the school board to confront Irvin during yet another livestreamed session.
“I won’t forgive you, and I won’t accept any false apologies to protect myself. I don’t think you deserve that kind of reassurance,” she stated firmly in a powerful four-minute speech.
She expressed, “Every time I feel a little bit of discomfort from the world, I want to remember that it’s not even a fraction of what I felt on April 2nd.”
In an apparent attempt to clarify his earlier remarks, Irvin claimed he simply meant to suggest Campbell was “on a roll” and insisted, “And, you know, I’m an old-school guy. I’m an old farm boy. I meant no harm. I was just proud of her.”
The Washington County School District has acknowledged awareness of Irvin’s legal issues, with the school board stating that his actions do not align with the district’s standards and values. They reiterated their commitment to fostering a safe and respectful environment for students and staff.
This isn’t Irvin’s first brush with controversy. Back in 2009, he faced accusations related to inappropriate behavior involving high school students.
Irvin is expected to appear in Washington County Court on August 7th.
