Jefferson County School Bus Driver Charged On 14 Counts Of “Sexual Contact By An Authority Figure”

Many Questions Remain

Image Credit: Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office & Canva

The Tennessee Conservative [By David Seal] –

Jefferson County Schools (JCS) in Dandridge, Tennessee has had its share of problems with school buses over the past year.

Student behavior problems became so frequent in 2023 that school officials made the decision to place paid monitors on several routes at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year at a cost of $100,000. The monitors were initiated on a trial basis and are now producing good results concerning student behavior.

The school system has also had long-standing excessive driver turnover that is attributed to low pay and lack of benefits.

Now, a new problem has emerged with the arrest of a school bus driver. 

Concerning the bus driver’s arrest and charges, HERE IS WHAT IS KNOWN

According to a JCS Media Release, a school bus driver was terminated from employment on August 21^st, 2024, for what the director of schools termed “inappropriate” actions. A report was filed with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) on the same day the school bus driver was terminated.

The Tennessee Conservative News reached out to the Director of Jefferson County Schools, Dr. Tommy Arnold, requesting a statement and presenting multiple questions about the bus, route number, and if the bus was supervised by a paid monitor.

Arnold responded as follows on November 15^th: “The following statement is the only information we are releasing at this time.” – said Dr. Tommy Arnold 

A copy of the JCS Media Release is pictured below.

Fast forward three months from the date the school bus driver was fired by the school system. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office released a statement indicating that a school bus driver had been arrested on November 13, 2024, and charged with 14 alleged counts of “sexual contact by an authority figure.”

The full statement issued by the sheriff’s department is as follows: 

“On Wednesday, November 13th Det Sgt Cindy Breton with the Criminal Investigation Division arrested a 56 year old Dandridge man on 14 counts of sexual contact by an authority figure. Detective Breton was contacted by DCS of the allegations and learned from Jefferson County Schools that on August 21st the Director Tommy Arnold had received a complaint and after an investigation and the viewing of camera footage installed on county buses the driver employment was terminated that same day. After interviewing other students and reviewing bus camera footage for two week period charges were placed on James Robert Smith of Dandridge. He was arrested and made a $ 100,000 bond.” – said Sheriff Jeff Coffey

HERE IS WHAT IS UNKNOWN, and a few unanswered questions.

Given the fact that three months elapsed from the time the school bus driver was fired (August 21, 2024) to the date of his arrest (November 13, 2024), the following questions remain.

1. Did Jefferson County Schools report the school bus driver’s “inappropriate” actions to any law enforcement agency, independent of their report to DCS, at or near the time the bus driver was terminated from employment?

2. Was the bus driver terminated for alleged sexual misconduct or for another alleged offense or policy infraction?

3. Over what period did the alleged 14 criminal offenses occur?

4. Did the complaint made by the “concerned parent” include allegations of sexual misconduct by the bus driver, or were the concerns of the parent unrelated to the charges filed by law enforcement?

5. When was the school system first made aware of the criminal investigation by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office related to the school bus driver?

6. How many students were involved in the alleged misconduct of the school bus driver?

7. Did the school bus involved in the incident have a paid monitor on board at the time any of the offenses occurred?

The Tennessee Conservative News presented several questions to the director of schools on Friday November 15, 2024, and will publish updates as additional information is made available by the school system or the sheriff’s office.

About the Author: David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman, 917 Society Volunteer, and current Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a citizen lobbyist for the people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband accessibility on the state level. David is also a 2024 winner of The Tennessee Conservative Flame Award & has received an accolade from the Institute For Justice for successfully lobbing the TN legislature to protect property rights. David can be reached at david@tennesseeconservativenews.com.