A Tennessee school board member who hugged a teenage girl and called her “hot” at a public meeting last month has been charged with assault, court records show.
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The charge of assault — physical contact stems from an incident on April 2, when Keith Ervin put his arm around the girl, a student member of the board, hugged her from the side and told her, “God, you’re hot,” after she had just wrapped up asking questions about career and technical education.
A lawyer who could speak on Ervin’s behalf was not listed in Washington County court records, and Ervin did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday night.
During the public comment part of a May 7 meeting, the student called the adult members of the school board “cowards” for what she characterized as their “failure to act.”
“To begin, I want to address Ervin’s actions, which were not only unwelcome, but sexist and derogatory,” she said, standing at a podium in front of the members, including Ervin, who sat with his arms crossed as she spoke. “I know this because he has not behaved this way with any of our male members, nor do I believe that he ever would.”
Following public outcry, Ervin apologized for his actions. At an April 8 meeting, he said his calling the girl “hot” was intended to mean “she was on a roll” and had nothing to do with her appearance.
The board censured Ervin, a member since 2006, at that meeting. In a statement Tuesday to NBC affiliate WCYB of Bristol, it said that because Tennessee law dictates school board members are independently elected officials, it does not have the authority to remove them, including Ervin.
“The Board reiterates that Mr. Ervin’s actions do not reflect the standards, policies, or values of the school district,” the statement said. “The Board will defer to law enforcement and the judicial system for the resolution of these charges.”
In her public comments, the teen told the board members that she does not accept “your fake apologies used to protect yourselves. I do not believe that you deserve that peace of mind.”
The members did not respond to her and moved on to other meeting agenda items.
Ervin’s first court appearance is scheduled for August.
