School board member tells HS girl, 'God, you're hot,' appears to touch her during meeting — now he's charged with assault

A member of a Tennessee school board has been charged with assault in connection with an incident during a recent public meeting in which he referred to a female high school student as "hot" and appeared to touch her, WJHL-TV reported.

Keith Ervin of the the Washington County Schools Board of Education was seen on video appearing to touch a student seated next to him while making a sizzling noise before telling her, "God, you're hot, you know that? ... Where do you go to school at?"

'Every board member has been concerned about her and how this has impacted her and will impact her.'

The student replied that she attends David Crockett High School, after which Ervin exclaimed, “All right!" WJHL noted.

The incident occurred during an April 2 school board meeting and can be seen on the school district's YouTube page; the incident occurs just after the 1 hour and 16 minute mark.

WJHL said that following public outcry, the school board on April 8 voted to censure Ervin, and the Washington County Commission issued a vote of no confidence in Ervin on April 27.

Ervin also was censured in 2009 after reportedly making a lewd gesture of a sexual nature in front of a class at David Crockett High School, the station said.

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Ervin, however, has insisted the clip recorded during the meeting showing his interaction with the student lacks context, and he has stated he only was complimenting the manner in which she had been asking questions during the meeting, the station said.

A charge of assault was filed Monday against Ervin, with a violation date of April 2, WJHL reported, citing court records.

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Washington County Schools Superintendent Jerry Boyd provided the station with a statement from the school board acknowledging that its members are aware a simple assault charge has been filed against Ervin in relation to the incident.

"Board chair Annette Buchanan previously stated that Mr. Ervin's comments and actions were 'shocking' and that he 'objectified and diminished a young woman,'" the statement reads, according to WJHL. "The Board reiterates that Mr. Ervin's actions do not reflect the standards, policies, or values of the school district. The Board remains committed to ensuring a safe, respectful, and appropriate environment for all students and staff."

The station said the school board stated that it will defer to law enforcement and the judicial system regarding the charge against Ervin.

Boyd added to the station that "none of the burden placed on the board members or myself or any district member compares to probably what the individual student feels. So every board member has been concerned about her and how this has impacted her and will impact her. Every board member wishes her the best. And as I said, both her and any student or any staff member that needs some additional supports, we'll be prepared and are prepared to provide whatever we can."

The father of the student at the center of the April 2 incident said on social media that Ervin should not be "anywhere near students" and called the other board members' lack of action amid the incident "equally disturbing," WJHL noted.

The station added that on May 7, the student herself addressed the school board, including Ervin, and called the board members "cowards" and said Ervin's actions were "not only unwelcome, but sexist and derogatory."

Boyd added to WJHL that the board has no authority to take action or discipline an individual board member beyond what already has been done — and that Ervin, an elected official, cannot be dismissed.

Boyd also told the station that "certainly in any situation, you always reflect, you certainly consider what you could have done differently during the moment, but you also focus on what can you do now. And I know every board member has been in the process of reflecting and acting on how they need to improve our board meetings, what their responsibility is, and also what my role will be and how I can support that."

He added to WJHL that as "a father of girls and as a superintendent and a lifelong educator, this is a situation none of us anticipated; the student definitely didn't anticipate that she would be in that kind of situation in a formal board meeting and honestly, nobody else did, either. So we're taking measures to be preventative in the future, including ensuring that our board members always maintain a certain level of professionalism."

The station said it has reached out to Ervin for a response.

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