School board member who hugged teen and called her ‘hot’ is charged with assault

U.S. newsSchool board member who hugged teen and called her ‘hot’ is charged with assaultThe charge stems from an April 2 incident in which Keith Ervin hugged the girl, a student member of the board, and told her, “God, you’re hot.”Keith Ervin gives a statement during the Washington County Schools Board of Education Emergency Meeting on April 8, 2026.WCYBShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 19, 2026, 11:26 PM EDTBy Alicia Victoria LozanoA Tennessee school board member who hugged a teen girl and called her “hot” during a public meeting last month has been charged with assault, court records show.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The charge of assault — physical contact stems from an April 2 incident in which Keith Ervin put his arm around the girl, a student member of the board, hugging her from the side and telling her, “God, you’re hot” after she’d 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 portion 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. In 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. Ervin, a member since 2006, was censured by the board during that meeting. In a statement Tuesday to NBC affiliate WCYB...