TN teacher, assistant principal arrested after allegedly paddling student
JACKSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A teacher and assistant principal at a Jackson County elementary school were arrested Tuesday following an investigation into reports of a student at the school being paddled.
The multi-agency investigation was launched in early October at the request of 15th Judicial District Attorney General Jason Lawson after officials received a complaint of an assault on a student, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
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The investigation reportedly revealed that on October 4, a student at Dodson Branch Elementary School was paddled twice by his teacher, 39-year-old Jackson Patterson, while the assistant principal, 54-year-old Tena Lynn, was present.
TBI agents said they also learned the student had later complained about pain in his buttocks and was taken to a medical facility for examination.
On November 7, the Jackson County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Patterson with one count of simple assault and Lynn with one count of criminal responsibility of assault.
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They both were arrested that same day and booked at the Jackson County Jail. Patterson’s bond was set at $2,500 and Lynn’s bond was set at $1,500.
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