by
Adam Ghassemi
GALLATIN, Tenn. – If a
teacher were arrested, you would think the school district would be the first
to find out, but that's not always the case.
Darrell Keen, age
32, has taught math and coached football at Beech High School for five years
before being arrested on-campus Wednesday morning.
"I was
actually at lunch, and in the hall with my girlfriend and I saw him leaving the
school with police," one student said.
Investigators say
Keen rented a room a Holiday Inn Express in Hendersonville on December 18th
where he had sex with a 17-year-old student, while a second student was in the
room. On the same day Metro Police arrested and charged him with domestic
assault for beating up an ex-girlfriend when she wouldn't have sex with him,
according to an affidavit.
"We suspend
them without pay and we allow the law enforcement to do what it needs to
do," said Sumner County Schools spokesperson Jeremy Johnson. Johnson says
unless a district employee is charged with a serious crime, it's up to them to
notify the district they've been arrested or face charges.
Officials with
both Metro Police and the Sumner County Sheriff's Office say there is no
notification system currently in place. They usually only tell someone's
employer if they're charged with a felony, like rape or murder.
Since teachers
work with children, even if they aren't convicted, they still could lose their
job.
"Is there
something there that maybe wasn't criminal, but is something that does meet
conduct on becoming a teacher and something we should pursue as a school
district?" Johnson said.
In Keen's case,
investigators say he does have a criminal history, but whatever he's done
wasn't enough to keep him from the classroom.
"Per
Tennessee state law we do a criminal background check and if there's anything
on the record that shows a felony or shows some issues then that affects your
employment," Johnson said.
Thursday night
Keen remained booked in the Sumner County Jail charged with aggravated
statutory rape. That's in addition to the domestic assault charge he faces in
Metro. His bail is set at $150,000 dollars.
Keen is due in
court in March, and is suspended without pay until the investigation is
complete.
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