A school board member put his arm around a teenage student’s neck and whispered to her that she was “hot” during a public meeting, sparking outrage.
Shortly after addressing the panel, Keith Ervin stood next to the high school senior and shocked the packed room with a bizarre comment.
The disturbing moment unfolded during a Washington County School Board meeting in Tennessee.
The girl was speaking about possible school restructuring and curriculum when Erwin approached her, awkward laughter echoing in the room as the meeting was livestreamed.
“Oh my god, you’re so attractive, do you know that?” He said to the girl and put his arm around her.
“where do you go to school?”
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When the student politely replied that she attended David Crockett High School, the board member smiled and said, “Okay.”
Despite the stunned atmosphere, no one immediately challenged Erwin’s remarks and the meeting continued as normal.
But the worrying clip quickly spread online – sparking outrage and calls for him to step down.
More than 3,400 people have since signed a petition calling for the ouster of Ervin along with Superintendent Jerry Boyd, who critics claim laughed during the incident.
“This is not the first time Keith Ervin has been in trouble for inappropriate conduct,” the petition alleges.
“Despite past incidents, he retained his position while raising questions about the accountability and integrity of those in power within our education system.
“Allowing such behavior to continue sets a poor example for our children and undermines the moral and ethical standards expected of teachers and officials entrusted with the education and welfare of our children.”
Brad Arnett, who started the petition, criticized Boyd for allegedly laughing at “this completely offensive comment.”
He also accused officers of protecting each other through the “good ole boy system”.
“As a father of both a boy and a girl, I was appalled by the video, as any decent human being should be,” he told WSMV.
Board of Education President Annette Buchanan later said the comments “purposefully and disrespectfully” targeted the student, who was a high school senior.
The parents were also shocked that none of the other board members took immediate action to rescue the teen.
Melanie Bell told WJHL, “My initial thought on it was that people were laughing afterward; no one bothered to defend her.”
“They all seemed like, ‘Oh, this is going to be nerve-wracking.’ But he did not say anything.
“He’s an elected official, so he should definitely be careful with his questions and questions, especially on camera, because he’s representing not just himself, but the Board of Education.”
Ervin has since strongly defended himself, insisting that the student had only asked “good smart questions”.
“I mean, I was impressed and the other board members were impressed because of the questions they asked,” he told WJHL.
“And, you know, I’m old school. I’m an old farm boy. And I didn’t care about anything. I was just proud of it.”
Ervin also claimed that there was “a lot of context missing” from the now viral clip.
An emergency meeting has been held on Wednesday, where the board is expected to censure him, while a protest has also been arranged.
Ervin – who is seeking re-election – can only be removed through a recall vote, which would require the support of two-thirds of registered voters who cast ballots in the previous election.
