One Creepy Word At A School Board Meeting Changed Everything

Authorities charged a Tennessee school board member with assault after he called a young female student “hot” last month during a board meeting. 

Washington County School Board member Keith Ervin faces a simple assault charge after he was caught on camera touching a student board member named Hannah Campbell on her shoulder before saying, “God, you’re hot. Damn. Where do you go to school at?” After the comment, Ervin leaned over and gave the girl a side hug as a few others present at the meeting laughed before moving on. 

The incident occurred on April 2, 2026, during a school board meeting streamed on YouTube. 

The girl’s father filed a complaint on April 3 and a grand jury returned a true bill on May 11 with the assault charge, the Johnson City Press reported. Ervin reported to the Jonesborough Police Department on May 18 and will make his first court appearance on August 7. 

In a statement, the Washington County Board of Education said it was aware of the charges.

“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 board said. “Since this is an open legal matter, neither the Board nor any district official has any further comment.”

The board, which censured Ervin during an emergency meeting days after the comment was made, said it could not remove him because he was “independently elected.” 

At a later meeting, Campbell called the school board cowards for not taking more action. 

“To begin, I want to address Ervin’s actions, which were not only unwelcome, but sexist and derogatory,” she said. “I know this because he has not behaved this way with any of our male members, nor do I believe that he ever would. I do not wish to beat a dead horse, as everyone here has clear context as to what happened was wrong.”

In a statement after public outrage over the comment, Ervin said he was not referring to the girl’s appearance. 

“Last week at the board meeting I wanted to congratulate a student who did a great job sharing thoughts with all that was in the room,” he said. “When I mentioned she was hot, I meant she was on a roll. It was nothing to do with her appearance.”

Ervin has been on the board since 2006 and his school board bio describes him as a self-employed dairy farmer on the board of directors for the Washington County Farm Bureau. He is also a member of Bethesda Methodist Church. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire on the assault charge.