Washington County Board of Education member accused of calling student “hot”

The Washington County, Tennessee Board of Education voted unanimously to censure board member Keith Ervin after comments he made calling a student “hot.” However, this is not Ervin’s first accusation, and the parents say the pattern is unacceptable.

In an emergency meeting on Wednesday afternoon, called by the chairman of the board, parents and members of the community demanded accountability and demanded that Ervin resign.

“The best thing you can do right now as a person, a father and someone who says you care about this community is to get off the ground,” said another member of the community.

Following an intense public comment period, the school board has addressed the issue. Ervin read a statement defending himself, saying the clip was taken out of context.

“When I said she was hot, I meant she was hot. It had nothing to do with her looks,” Ervin said.

Some board members called for him to step down, others defended him.

At the end of the meeting, the board voted unanimously to censure Ervin. A reprimand is a formal statement of disapproval and is a serious disciplinary action, as board members cannot be removed unless they engage in illegal conduct.

According to records, Ervin was accused in 2009 of engaging in a “lewd, intimate sexual act” in a classroom at David Crockett High School. At the time, documents show Ervin said he “thought he was trying to be 18 again” and “just wanted the kids to be able to talk to him and never dreamed the student would be upset.”

Ervin is up for re-election in August.

Here is Keith Ervin’s full statement below.

“I like to start by saying that I am not good with words, I sometimes say things in a way that does not express what I am saying, I hope that people who know me know that I will not say anything on purpose that will offend someone.

Obviously, I saw the clip. Look, I get it, if that’s all you see, I understand why people react the way they do. But that is not a full discussion, not even a close one.

Last week at the board meeting, I wanted to congratulate a student who did a great job sharing his thoughts with everyone. The student made us all proud in that meeting. He asked good questions, engaged, well-behaved, especially right before the interview clip with the superintendent on hot topics.

He kept answering questions thinking of logical points. When I said hot, I meant hot. It had nothing to do with his appearance. As a lifelong supporter of David Crockett High School, I was very proud to learn that this is where he went to school.

If you take a few seconds out of a two-hour meeting, it can change how everything feels. And to be honest, it doesn’t give him the credit he deserves. I’m sorry, that this overshadowed what could have been a bright moment for one of our readers.

I have been on the board for a long time, I care about these schools, I care about this community, those have always been my interests. I could have said it better, yes, I could. I will miss that a lot going forward. But no disrespect was intended, and I apologize to him and his family for my comment​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ public in response to the amazing work he has done.

If people want the full picture, the whole meeting is online. I would just like people to look before jumping to conclusions. The video speaks for itself.” Keith Ervin