This comes about a month after Warner Elementary’s principal was placed on administrative leave for domestic assault charges.
Image: The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office detention center on Harding Place. Image Credit: Martin B. Cherry / Nashville Banner.
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Article by by Lillian Avedian [The Nashville Banner, Creative Commons] –
A Nashville public school teacher is facing allegations of domestic abuse and has been arrested twice since the start of the school year. Joshua Lawhorn is still in the classroom, teaching sixth grade at J.T. Moore Middle School, pending those charges.
This comes after the principal of Warner Elementary, Janelle Brooks, was placed on administrative leave on Aug. 21 after she was arrested on a domestic aggravated assault charge. Asked why the cases have been handled differently, Metro Nashville Public Schools spokesperson Sean Braisted told the Banner that the “charges in the cases are different” and that the district conducts a “case by case review.” He also confirmed that Brooks is still on leave.
“The district reviews the circumstances of each case, including the nature of the allegations, applicable state law and district policy, and whether the circumstances affect the employee’s ability to perform their duties or present concerns for the school environment,” he wrote in an email.
Lawhorn has been at J.T. Moore since 2024. He previously taught at Two Rivers Middle School from 2013-2020 and was granted tenure status by the district in 2019, according to his personnel records.
On Aug. 10, Lawhorn’s ex-girlfriend filed a police report with the Metro Nashville Police Department regarding ongoing domestic abuse. On Aug. 21, a court issued a temporary order of protection, ordering Lawhorn not to abuse, threaten, come about or contact her or her 13-year-old child.
According to the order of protection, the ex-girlfriend alleged that he had stalked and sexually assaulted her. In the month or so since, Lawhorn has been arrested twice on charges of false imprisonment and violating the order of protection.
An arrest affidavit states that on June 30, the woman took a shower at Lawhorn’s home, emerged in a towel and asked for privacy to put on her clothes. Lawhorn became “irate” and stood in the doorway until she got dressed, according to the affidavit.
“No, I’m still sorry I blocked the door,” Lawhorn later texted her. A screenshot of that text was shared with domestic violence detectives, the affidavit states.
She described her experience that day when she filed the order of protection. She wrote that after she got out of the shower Lawhorn allegedly “flew into a rage, screaming in my face, balling up his fists, and towering over me.”
“He said because it’s his house I had to either change in front of him or go into the small bathroom inside his bedroom, which would have left me further trapped inside the room. Josh stood in the doorway, physically blocked me in the bedroom and refused to let me leave. I felt humiliated but got dressed while Josh watched because I didn’t want him to become violent,” her statement reads.
“Josh’s behavior has gotten more volatile and unpredictable in the two years we’ve dated. He controls when I am allowed to speak and where I’m allowed to go in his house when he is angry. I have learned to say or do whatever it takes for him to calm down.”
In the statement, she further alleged that after she ended their relationship over text on Aug. 20 and asked him not to contact her, Lawhorn continued to text and call her, then showed up at her house. She wrote that his behavior put her and her child in fear, and she filed the order of protection the next day.
Lawhorn violated the order the same day that it was issued, according to an arrest affidavit. At 5:27 p.m. on Aug. 21, Lawhorn was called by the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and notified of the order. At 5:29 p.m., Lawhorn texted the victim: “Got a call from the sheriff, see you in court I suppose. Sorry. Bye.”
Lawhorn was charged with violating the order of protection and arrested on Aug. 23. He was arrested again on Sept. 1 on a charge of false imprisonment related to the June 30 incident. He was released on bond.
In her written statement in the order of protection, the victim elaborated on her allegation that Lawhorn had sexually assaulted her, writing that he “has a history of not respecting my boundaries around sexual contact.” She wrote that he “becomes aggressive” when she sets a boundary and that she has “screenshots of Josh admitting to touching me without consent, putting me in fear for my safety, and preventing me from leaving the room.”
Lawhorn is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 20.
This is not the first time that Lawhorn has been caught up in allegations of abuse. In a screenshot of a text exchange attached to divorce filings from Sept. 2023 in Davidson County, Lawhorn sent a text to his ex-wife stating that a former public school co-worker had accused him of rape. In the filings, Lawhorn’s ex-wife raised concerns about how he disciplined their children and asked that he be prohibited from using corporal punishment. A judge ordered that “neither party shall use corporal punishment.”
Lawhorn’s attorney could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
MNPS policy
Braisted told the Banner that Lawhorn reported the arrest to the district within the necessary timeframe and that the district is aware of the charges and upcoming court date. A pending criminal charge does not by itself automatically require that an employee be placed on administrative leave, Braisted wrote in an email.
“Based on the information available to the district, placement on administrative leave was not warranted. We will continue to monitor the case and take appropriate action if circumstances change,” he wrote.
Under MNPS policy 5.201.1p, the district can place employees on paid administrative leave during investigations. When a teacher is the subject of an internal or external agency investigation, the human resources department may place the employee on paid leave for up to 10 working days in order to maintain a safe school environment. After 10 days the superintendent, in consultation with human resources, may decide whether the teacher should be suspended without pay, remain on paid leave or return to work.
After 29 days of paid leave, the human resources department will recommend to the superintendent to convert the employee to suspension without pay pending the outcome of the investigation, the policy states. The superintendent has the final discretion on which course of action to take.
