‘Laws need to be changed' Blount County mayor urges reform after former teacher given probation
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The mayor of Blount County is expressing his frustration after a former Blount County Schools employee was sentenced to six months of probation for inappropriately touching students.
Joseph Dalton was arrested last year over allegations of inappropriately touching elementary students on at least five different occasions. He pleaded guilty to five counts of misdemeanor assault by physical contact and was sentenced to six months of probation. He was granted judicial diversion, allowing the charges to be expunged once the probation is completed.
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In response, Ed Mitchell shared a statement on Facebook, explaining his efforts to deal with issues in the school system and his anger at the outcome of the charges against Dalton.
'I am doing everything in my power to make sure this NEVER happens to another student in our school system. I am first a parent and grandparent, and I am furious,' wrote Mitchell. 'I share everyone's frustrations with the outcome of the charges against Mr. Dalton. There are not enough words to express how deeply disappointed I am. Laws need to be changed. At the root of it all, this entire situation could have been avoided years and years ago with proper action by the School Administration.'
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He went on to say that while he has 'no statutory authority over the Blount County School system,' he can no longer stand by and allow mismanagement to happen.
'When these allegations of inappropriate behavior against our teachers began to arise, enough is enough. I don't care if it's not my statutory authority. I don't care if I step on toes and hurt someone's feelings because I asked questions about how they handled allegations against a teacher or how they spend the taxpayers' dollars,' wrote Mitchell. 'I am disgusted that someone like this would have been moved around and allowed to maintain employment working with children. It's absolutely unacceptable!'
He added that he knows there are members of the Blount County School Board and Central Office who are committed to making tough decisions to protect children and efforts are underway to prevent a similar situation from happening again. In September 2024, the Blount County Commission approved a resolution to ask for a thorough investigation into the personnel records from 2004 to now involving sexual misconduct within Blount County Schools.
'The safety of our students should be the #1 priority of our School system and everyone involved. If there's an employee with even a hint of not keeping our children safe, there should be no place for them in our School systems. As stated, so much work has been done already and we will continue to work together and collaborate to ensure our students are getting the absolutely best education in a safe and secure environment. I'm not finished!' Mitchell closed.
When asked about the sentence, Blount County DAG Ryan Desmond declined to comment at this time.
Several Blount County parents participated in a protest on Friday to share their frustrations with the sentence.
Records detail earlier incidents involving former Blount County Schools employee who pleaded guilty to 'touching assault'
Dalton's teaching license is currently still active. A spokesperson for the Tennessee State Board of Education told 6 News that each case must be presented in a review committee meeting for a recommendation on a potential license action. The spokesperson added the board will gather all information from the court and conduct any necessary follow-ups before doing so.
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