Disturbing moment middle-aged male school board member puts his arm around girl at public meeting and calls her 'HOT'

Published: 00:19, 7 April 2026 | Updated: 00:21, 7 April 2026 A disturbing video captured the moment a Tennessee man put his arm around a female student during a school board meeting and called her 'hot.'  Washington County School Board member Keith Ervin is under review for the creepy comments and gestures he directed at the young girl on April 2.  Ervin is seen putting his arm around the teen, while other board members looked visibly tense.  'God, you're hot, you know that? Where do you go to school at?' the middle-aged man asked the girl. The student attended the meeting to present her research on the district’s schools to the board.  Ervin made the comment after she finished her speech, leaving the room filled with discomfort.  The district's superintendent, Jerry Boyd, noted that Ervin's behavior made attendees uncomfortable. 'In all honesty, it certainly was an uncomfortable situation. You know, there’s a lot of nervousness in the room,' Boyd told WCYB. Disturbing video captured the moment Washington County School Board member Keith Ervin put his arm around a female student during a school board meeting and called her 'hot' The student was at the meeting to present research to the board, Ervin made the comment after she finished her speech Boyd explained that, although attendees raised an eyebrow, the meeting went on as the young girl was not in 'immediate danger.'  Boyd also said the board will review the disturbing interaction and intervene if necessary.  'Our board expects a high level of professionalism, and certainly it’s being discussed and questionable whether or not the comment met that standard,' Boyd told the outlet. 'And I believe the general belief is no.' Ervin defended himself, telling News Channel 11 that the video was 'taken out of context' and that he was complimenting the girl for asking thoughtful questions.  Annette Buchanan, Chair of the Washington County Board of Education, released a statement on Monday about the ordeal. 'On Thursday, April 2, 2026, one of our colleagues, Keith Ervin, made a grossly inappropriate comment toward our student board member. 'Mr Ervin has explained that he meant nothing offensive and that we have simply misunderstood his intentions. 'Mr Ervin knows his own intentions, but the rest of us have to judge his words and his actions.' She added that the video was 'shocking,' saying that he 'objectified and diminished a young woman publicly,' and no explanation can justify his actions. The board will review the disturbing interaction and intervene if necessary Annette Buchanan, Chair of the Washington County Board of Education, called the video 'shocking' An emergency meeting was scheduled for April 8 to address the matter, with expectations that the board will consider and approve a motion to censure Ervin for his comments.  Parents in the district were outraged over Ervin's vile comments, calling for his removal.  'As a member of the school board, he is responsible for our children’s health and welfare and safety and education,' Hillary Haley, a parent in the district, told WCYB. 'The display he put on tells me that he should be nowhere around our children,' she added. The video went viral on social media, with many alumni and parents of district students expressing their outrage over the incident.  'I find this utterly unacceptable and disgusting. No adult should speak to a child this way,' one comment read. 'Remove these members!!! These are not individuals who are safe for our children!' another user wrote. 'No, you can't spin that one. That was inappropriate. Should resign, and stop talking before the hole gets deeper, you are not helping yourself,' another user posted. Daily Mail reached out to Ervin for comment.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.