A Washington County high school student who was verbally sexually harassed by a school board member at a board meeting addressed the body to let them know their lack of action is sending the wrong message.
A Tennessee teenager called her school board a group of “cowards” last week for not firing a member who hugged her and remarked that she was “hot” during a public meeting last month.
Hannah Campbell, a student in Washington County, said bluntly in a fiery speech before the school board Thursday that she does not “forgive” the members for allowing Keith Ervin, a member since 2006, to keep his position.
“To begin, I want to address Ervin’s actions, which were not only unwelcome, but sexist and derogatory,” said Campbell, a student representative on the board. “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.”
During the April 2 school board meeting, Ervin called Campbell “hot” after she delivered remarks.
“God, you’re hot. Do you know that? Damn. Where do you go to school at?” Ervin said as he put his arm around her and hugged her from the side.
Ervin remains on the Washington County School Board, as the Board censured him but failed to take further action.
