MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Blount County Director of Schools Justin Ridge announced Tuesday that he is seeking the dismissal of a tenured teacher who is on leave amid an investigation into allegations of inappropriate contact with a student.

Ridge announced Tuesday at a school board meeting that he was formally bringing charges of dismissal against a special education teacher at Heritage High School who was placed on administrative leave last month. He informed the board that he was made aware of a case from 2020 involving a now-tenured teacher in May, weeks after he was named director of schools.

The teacher was working at Union Grove Middle School in 2020 when they were investigated for allegations of unprofessional conduct. The case was deemed inconclusive by the Department of Child Se

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