Image Credit: White Pine School Home Of The Cyclones / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By David Seal] –
Another employee of the Jefferson County School (JCS) system has been jailed, the second one in 3 weeks.
This time a teacher at White Pine School was arrested for allegedly assaulting a 7-year-old student by striking them on the head with an iPad. According to a media release by Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Coffey, the teacher has been charged with allegations of Assault and Child Abuse.
Sheriff Coffey’s media release reads as follows:
“On Friday December 6, 2024, the SRO at White Pine School was notified of an assault that had occurred the previous afternoon at school. The SRO along with an investigator with the Criminal Investigation Division initiated an investigation that revealed a Special Education Teacher at the school had struck a 7-year-old student in with an iPad. The student was checked by the nurse following the incident. The teacher was identified as Joseph Drake Lee age 31 of Jefferson City he was arrested at the school for Assault and Child Abuse and transported to the Jefferson County Detention Center.” – said Sheriff Jeff Coffey, Jefferson County.
School Lockdown
Director of Jefferson County Schools, Dr. Tommy Arnold, reported that White Pine School, a K-8 facility, had been placed on temporary lockdown while law enforcement was conducting their work.
Arnold went on to say in his Media Release that safety and well-being of students is the top priority, serving as justification for the precautionary lockdown.
The full text of Arnold’s December 6, 2024, Media Release is pictured below.
As reported by The Tennessee Conservative News on November 19, 2024, a Jefferson County school bus driver had been arrested on 14 alleged counts of Sexual Contact by an Authority Figure.
That arrest was made by Detective Cindy Breton of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office on November 13, 2024, following a referral to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. The driver was terminated on August 21, 2024, for what school officials termed “inappropriate actions.”
For background, that news report is linked HERE.
As of publication time, the suspect in the alleged assault and child abuse case, Mr. Lee is listed on the JSC District Website as a special education teacher at White Pine School.
However, there is no other information available on his employment status with JSC.
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.
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Without knowing both parties…