Latest news with #ex-BlountCounty
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Lawyer, state lawmaker discuss former Blount County teacher's sentence amid calls to change laws
BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — Parents and leaders have expressed frustration and anger after a former Blount County Schools teacher was given probation after pleading guilty to offensively touching students. In this week's Ask Isaacs, 6 News' Lori Tucker, Attorney Greg Isaacs and Tennessee State Representative Sam McKenzie discuss the Joseph Dalton case. On April 30, Dalton was sentenced to 6 months of supervised probation with judicial diversion after he pleaded guilty to five counts of misdemeanor assault by physical contact in September 2024. Under the judicial diversion, if Dalton completes the requirements of his probation, which includes undergoing psychosexual evaluation and complying with any resulting recommendations, the case could be expunged from public records. Fifth Judicial District Attorney General Ryan Desmond's office shared when the sentence was announced that the judge granted Dalton's request for a judicial diversion despite the state's argument against it. Desmond later released a statement going into more detail about the case, including how his office was faced with questions of if they should pursue charges if the evidence did not support a sexual battery charge and knowing how minimal the sentence would be. Desmond, Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell and other leaders have called for state laws to change, and some residents and parents protested the sentence outside the Blount County Courthouse. A mother of one of the children victimized by Dalton spoke with 6 News, saying that she felt it was important to attend the rally. 'The children have to come first': Parents angered by sentencing of ex-Blount County PE teacher The charges against Dalton stemmed from incidents at two Blount County schools. Some of the allegations against Dalton accused him of touching students in a 'tickling' manner, hugging students or wrapping his body around them, and in one case, putting a student on the ground and standing above them for an extended amount of time. In Desmond's May 3 statement, he explained that Tennessee laws on sexual battery require contact with the 'intimate parts' of a victim. Desmond wrote that while no videos or evidence showed Dalton having that type of contact with students, his behavior was concerning and fit the criminal offense of 'assault through the 'offensive touching' of another.' Another interesting aspect of this case involves records 6 News obtained that detail earlier incidents involving Dalton. A report from the Blount County Sheriff's Office explains that the district attorney's office declined to prosecute Dalton in connection to an October 2019 incident 'citing being able to prove sexual gratification and this being a he said she said type of case.' At the time, Mike Flynn was serving as the Fifth Judicial District Attorney General, according to the Blount County Government's website. The records also two other incidents investigated by the sheriff's office that involved allegations against Dalton, with one dating back to August 2005. On May 2, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Board of Education told 6 News that Dalton's teaching license is still active, and that each case has to be presented in a review committee meeting for a recommendation on a potential license action. The spokesperson also shared that the board will gather all information from the court and conduct any necessary follow-ups before doing so. If you have a legal question, send it to AskIsaacs@ To watch full episodes of Ask Isaacs, click here. WATE's Lori Tucker and Attorney Greg Isaacs answer your legal questions from the WATE Alert Desk on Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. and on WATE Channel 6 at 5:30 p.m. Ask Isaacs is also streamed live on WATE6+. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
Blount County DA points out ‘inadequacy' of laws behind ex-PE teacher's sentencing
BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — Amid anger and frustration from residents, the District Attorney General over the prosecution of a former Blount County Schools PE teacher who was accused of inappropriately touching students has explained the reasoning behind the charges that were pursued and called the law over the crimes in question 'clearly insufficient.' Earlier this week, former Blount County Schools employee Joseph Dalton was given a sentence that could allow him to have the case expunged later after he pleaded guilty to five accounts of assault by physical contact. The judicial diversion, which is a type of probation for first-time offenders, requires Dalton to serve six months of supervised probation, undergo psychosexual evaluation, and comply with any resulting recommendations of that evaluation Mother of victim speaks out against former Blount County teacher's sentencing Early Saturday morning, Fifth Judicial District Attorney General Ryan Desmond issued a statement about the case, explaining how the case developed, why the specific charge against Dalton was chosen, and the difficult questions asked ahead of the prosecution. Desmond explained that he became aware of an incident where a young student felt like one of their teachers was acting inappropriately in late 2023, and he said it was the first time he had heard of that teacher. After this, he also heard concerns from others that there had been numerous similar allegations made against the teacher in the past, he wrote. Because of the concerns, Desmond said he had a criminal investigator obtain surveillance video from every class the teacher had participated in that school year. After reviewing the footage, Desmond said they located multiple concerning incidents where the teacher had physical contact with students that was inappropriate. The parents of the students were notified, and the investigation continued with statements and all possible related evidence being collected. An important aspect of Tennessee criminal law that Desmond explained was that laws on sexual battery require contact with the 'intimate parts' of a victim. He said no videos or evidence showed that the teacher had done that, and while the teacher's behavior was concerning, it did not qualify as sexual battery or any other sexual offense under current Tennessee Law. 'We then faced a question, if the conduct did not amount to sexual battery, should the case and investigation then be closed? I found this answer to be unacceptable. Instead, we carefully researched the law and found the only criminal offense that fit the facts and evidence before us. That criminal offense was assault through the 'offensive touching' of another,' Desmond wrote. Under Tennessee law, assault by offensive touching is a Class B misdemeanor, which has a maximum punishment of 6 months, Desmond explained. 'The children have to come first': Parents angered by sentencing of ex-Blount County PE teacher The next question Desmond's office faced was if it was worth it to prosecute the case knowing how minimal the sentence would be. The alternative, he said, was to do nothing. 'I was elected to protect the citizens of our community, and the right choice was clear. Considering past efforts by the school system to curtail this teacher's behavior had clearly not been effective, doing nothing was not an option I could accept,' Desmond wrote. Desmond explained that the decision to charge the teacher with five counts of offensive touching assault was not made lightly. Rather, he said the decision was made knowing that many would think the charges and sentence 'would be woefully insufficient,' but that prosecutors are only able to do what the law allows. If there were more serious charges that were supported by the evidence, prosecutors sought those charges, Desmond wrote. He ended his statement saying: I understand people believe the sentence for these crimes is insufficient. I do not disagree. I would certainly support any effort by the legislature to amend the law to address scenarios wherein a person in a position of trust has inappropriate contact with children in their law for these crimes, as it currently exists, is clearly insufficient. Despite that inadequacy, when faced with this issue I ultimately made the decision that some action had to be taken. I stand by that decision. Fifth Judicial District Attorney General Ryan Desmond Desmond is not the only Blount County official who is calling for the laws to change. Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell wrote that he is doing everything in his power to make sure the actions Dalton was accused of never happened to another student in the Blount County Schools system. '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,' Mitchell wrote in part. 6 News obtained the judgement records for Dalton, which states that the victims of these charges were between the ages of 8 and 10 years old. The document also adds that Dalton's probation is set to end on October 30, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mother of victim speaks out against former Blount County teacher's sentencing
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — People gathered outside the Blount County Courthouse on Friday to protest with signs, expressing their anger with the outcome of the Joseph Dalton's sentencing. The former teacher pleaded guilty to five counts of misdemeanor assault by physical contact and was sentenced to six months of probation, with judicial diversion, allowing the charges to be wiped clean once the probation is completed. TBI: Deputy fatally shoots man while responding to burglary report in Morgan County Corie Lockett is the mother of a child who she says was victimized by Dalton. She felt it was important to attend this rally. 'Keep pushing. If something has happened to your kid, you don't have to stay silent; you can talk about it,' said Lockett. Following the incident, Lockett initially transferred her daughter to a different school but realized that a new environment didn't solve the bigger issue. She shared that her daughter didn't fully understand what happened or that anything was wrong. 'There's never a reason for a teacher to restrain you, there's never a reason for them to touch you the way that he touched you. And just letting her know that everything isn't a game. Sometimes, whenever people are acting like they are pretending or playing, that it's not,' Lockett added. Child porn investigation in Michigan leads to charge against Knoxville man The mother wasn't alone in speaking out; other parents and community members stood beside her, voicing their frustration and demanding change. 'Injustice. I feel like the sentence didn't match the crime. I felt really sad for the victims, and that they must've felt like they did not matter. I feel like it should be on the National Sex Offender Registry. It is very important that Joseph Dalton does not end up at another school with more victims,' shared Danielle Kaylor, a protest organizer. Lockett said the experience has shown her how important it is for parents to stay alert and talk with their children even when it gets hard. 'People can speak out and protest and do this and do that, but at the end of the day, nothing's going to change if they don't rewrite the laws, if they don't hold the harsher punishment, if they don't start with accountability,' said Lockett. 'The children have to come first': Parents angered by sentencing of ex-Blount County PE teacher The Blount County Mayor released a statement earlier this afternoon saying, '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.' Blount County District Attorney General Ryan Desmond declined to comment at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘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. 'The children have to come first': Parents angered by sentencing of ex-Blount County PE teacher 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.' Knoxville families discover rental scam days after moving into home 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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Dog rescued during animal cruelty case in Cumberland County in need of a new home
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — A woman charged with animal cruelty has pleaded guilty and been sentenced, and the sheriff's office says one of the dogs that was in her care when the case began is searching for a new home. On Thursday, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office announced that Amber Cheyann Bruce pleaded guilty to animal cruelty on April 24 and was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days of supervised probation. 'The children have to come first': Parents angered by sentencing of ex-Blount County PE teacher On January 17, 2024, deputies responded to a home on Breckenridge Drive because of a civil matter, the sheriff's office said, but ultimately they discovered multiple animals living in unsanitary and inhumane conditions. In coordination with Cumberland County Animal Control, the sheriff's office conducted a welfare check and found multiple animals inside the home in various states of neglect, including a tan dog living in filth, a cat that was crated in feces, and an emaciated black husky mix named Zeus. According to the sheriff's office, Zeus was so malnourished and cold that he could not stand or access food or water. During the course of the investigation, Bruce reportedly told deputies that she had found Zeus just two weeks before he was discovered in the home, but investigators found photos that showed the dog was well cared for that contradicted her claims, the sheriff's office said. Blount County drivers warned of mud-covered roads after Rock The Country festival Bruce voluntarily surrendered Zeus, who weighed only 17 pounds, the sheriff's office said. Suffering from dehydration, whipworms and injuries to both ears, shelter staff were concerned the dog would not survive the night. With the intervention of shelter staff, he began to recover over the next three months, gaining 'weight, strength, and his spirit,' the sheriff's office wrote. Now, Zeus is a healthy and playful 40-pound dog who is ready to be adopted from the Cumberland County Animal Shelter. The sheriff's office asked anyone interested in giving Zeus a good home to contact the shelter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
