{"id":2470,"date":"2026-05-22T09:41:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T09:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/22\/tennessee-school-board-member-charged-after-calling-teenage-girl-hot\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T09:41:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T09:41:16","slug":"tennessee-school-board-member-charged-after-calling-teenage-girl-hot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=2470","title":{"rendered":"Tennessee school board member charged after calling teenage girl \u2018hot\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"7d6399c4-6f0e-4553-ab6d-95588ab85b7f\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Washington County Circuit Court, a two-story brick building with white columns and cupola, stands behind a parking lot.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4bb04761a3926af66f391ab017946e8dd1a8cb42\/357_0_1430_1144\/master\/1430.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Washington county circuit court where  Keith Ervin  was summoned.<\/span> Photograph: Google Maps<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"7d6399c4-6f0e-4553-ab6d-95588ab85b7f\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Washington county circuit court where  Keith Ervin  was summoned.<\/span> Photograph: Google Maps<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Tennessee school board member charged after calling teenage girl \u2018hot\u2019<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Keith Ervin, 59, was charged with assault after he told a student \u2018God \u2013 you\u2019re hot\u2019 at a public meeting in April<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">An east <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/tennessee\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Tennessee<\/a> school board member who told a teenage girl, \u201cGod \u2013 you\u2019re hot,\u201d on video at a public meeting in April has been charged with assault.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">State prosecutors on 18 May charged 59-year-old Keith Ervin under a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/tennessee\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Tennessee<\/a> statute that outlaws \u201cintentionally or knowingly [causing] physical contact with another [that] a reasonable person would regard \u2026 as extremely offensive or provocative\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Tennessee considers that offense a class B misdemeanor, which upon conviction can carry up to six months in jail and a maximum $500 fine.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"c26e8dd6-86b4-434f-a9e0-9f6d98eef25c\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-3 | 3\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-1bg5532\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/20\/settlement-man-jailed-charlie-kirk-post\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">Tennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 settlement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Ervin\u2019s charge came after his participation in a 2 April meeting of the Washington county school board to which he was first elected in 2006. At that gathering, in plain view of a camera capturing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/live\/977US_SUGg8?si=zHtCvYgmySsndLn9&amp;t=4562\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">video<\/a> for the public board\u2019s YouTube channel, Ervin gazed at a female student seated next to him, placed his left hand on her right shoulder, and said, \u201cGod \u2013 you\u2019re hot. Did you know that? Damn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">She laughed uncomfortably as he leaned in and wrapped his left arm around her shoulders, continuing, \u201cWhere do you go to school at?\u201d She provided the name of her school, and he rejoined, \u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Other people in the room could be heard laughing at the end of the exchange. And the Washington school district\u2019s superintendent, Jerry Boyd, visibly smiled while on the other side of the student.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Local media reports describe the girl as a high school senior and a student representative on the board. Her father later went on social media and criticized Ervin\u2019s behavior as \u201cdisturbing and inappropriate\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In that statement, reported by Tennessee news outlet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wjhl.com\/news\/local\/disturbing-and-inappropriate-father-of-student-involved-in-school-board-incident-shares-statement\/?ipid=promo-link-block-st1\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">WJHL<\/a>, the girl\u2019s father said neither he nor her mother believed Ervin \u201cshould be anywhere near students\u201d \u2013 and he expressed incredulity that the moment passed \u201cwithout immediate accountability\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Ervin <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wjhl.com\/news\/local\/ervin-issues-a-statement-over-comment-of-student\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">provided<\/a> his own statement to WJHL in which he contended he was not \u201calways good with words\u201d. He also maintained that he would not purposefully offend anyone, though he acknowledged the video of him and the girl looked bad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.change.org\/p\/fire-jerry-boyd-and-keith-ervin-from-washington-county-board-of-education\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Change.org petition<\/a> almost immediately calling for the dismissals of Boyd and Ervin from their roles has since gathered more than 7,400 signatures. Ervin\u2019s fellow school board members voted to censure him during a special meeting called on 8 April as outrage surrounding his filmed remarks spread beyond Washington county.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The female student at the center of the assault case addressed the county school board directly at a 7 May meeting \u2013 and she let its members know she was unimpressed with their handling of the matter, Tennessee\u2019s Knoxville News Sentinel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/story\/news\/education\/2026\/05\/08\/washington-county-tennessee-student-called-hot-slams-board-for-inaction\/89992396007\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">reported<\/a>. She accused board members of cowardice while rejecting apologies from them, saying: \u201cI do not forgive you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">She added, \u201cThank you for teaching me that no one will stand up for me besides myself. Thank you for showing this community what you believe it means to protect our children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">After he was charged in Washington county circuit court, Ervin was served with a criminal summons ordering him to appear at a hearing tentatively scheduled for 7 August.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Ervin did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">His Washington school district biography says he is a self-employed dairy farmer by trade. The biography also notes that Ervin has two daughters who previously graduated from the school attended by the student listed as the victim in his pending assault case.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/tennessee\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Tennessee<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Tennessee%20school%20board%20member%20charged%20after%20calling%20teenage%20girl%20%E2%80%98hot%E2%80%99&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/22\/tennessee-school-board-charged-comments-teenager?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F22%2Ftennessee-school-board-charged-comments-teenager&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/22\/tennessee-school-board-charged-comments-teenager\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington county circuit court where Keith Ervin was summoned. Photograph: Google Maps View image in fullscreen Washington county<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2472,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2470\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}