Parents of disabled and non-verbal students have filed a lawsuit against Blount County Schools and a former special education teacher, alleging a pattern of sexual, physical, and verbal abuse at Union Grove Middle School between 2018 and 2020. According to the filing, despite multiple reports from a nurse and teacher assistants—and a video of an “egregious” act shown to Principal John Webb—the district failed to take substantive action at the time. Instead of being disciplined, the teacher was allegedly transferred to Heritage High School and granted tenure, a move the lawsuit suggests may be linked to her father’s position on the Blount County Board of Education.

The allegations resurfaced following a 2024 school audit, leading to a police report and dismissal charges against the teacher. The lawsuit names several defendants, including the teacher’s father, Principal Webb, former Director of Schools Rob Britt, and the school board itself, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the systemic failure to protect vulnerable students. Current Director of Schools Justin Ridge declined to comment on the specific allegations, citing the pending litigation and stating that the district had not yet been formally served.