WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Centennial High School football coach and psychology teacher was arrested on serious sex crime charges after Metro Police say he tried to pay to have sex with a 16-year-old during a prostitution sting operation.
Herman Jay Graham III, 50, was one of three men arrested in the sting. Police say Graham responded to an adult escort ad posted by detectives and began texting with who he believed was a 16-year-old girl, but was actually an undercover officer.
On Wednesday, Metro Nashville Police Department says Graham agreed to meet at a Nashville hotel room, gave the undercover female officer $120, and was then arrested.
Graham was immediately fired from his coaching position at Centennial High School and suspended without pay from his teaching position. The school's principal notified families and staff that night.
"The first thing I would sit down with my child basically ask, What have you heard?" said therapist Cris Cannon.
Mental health professionals say this type of situation can be particularly difficult for students who trusted and respected Graham.
"This is someone you highly respected, and now all of a sudden they've done something that they shouldn't have done. And there is the ambiguity of, how do I feel about somebody that I formerly liked? How do I feel about someone that I formerly respected? And this is just a good ongoing discussion for parents and guardians to continue to have," Cannon said.
Parents told reporters over the phone they were concerned, saying their students described Graham as a well-liked coach and teacher, making his arrest on such serious crimes shocking.
"So there is this moment of shock that leads us to understanding this is something that I didn't expect. So as I work through that, how can I accept that there is the loss of relationship with someone that you formerly trusted," Cannon said.
Williamson County Schools told parents that Metro Police don't believe other Centennial families are in danger. Pediatric Psychologist Michelle Reising points out that stories and incidents like this will happen again, emphasizing now is the time to talk openly with children and teens.
"Even if it wasn't outright assault, if somebody just did something that made you feel awkward or uncomfortable, how do you think you would handle that and really just see kind of where your child is at. And that's a really good opportunity for your child to feel some some mastery and some confidence that they probably have some really good thoughts on how to do this. And you can praise that," Reising said.
Counselors were available on campus to meet with students as needed. The school district says anyone with information or concerns should contact law enforcement.
Graham posted a $45,000 bond and is no longer in custody.
The two other men arrested in the sting were 46-year-old Aaron Barnack and 20-year-old Anthony Proctor. Both are accused of arranging to pay teen girls for sex with undercover agents.
Mental health professionals encourage parents to have direct conversations with their children about the situation.
"You know, when you've been disappointed by a trusted friend, a trusted teacher, then you begin to wonder, gee, can I trust adults at all? And so in this case, it would be to say to your child that you know somebody that you had a lot of trust in did something wrong that really shouldn't have done. And that doesn't mean you can't trust all adults," one counselor said.
"We don't want to sort of talk around it, because when we are direct and honest, then our kids and teenagers feel like they can be direct and honest in return."
Here are some more resources for parents:
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
https://www.nctsn.org/ [nctsn.org]
Sexual Assault Center
https://sacenter.org/ [sacenter.org]
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children- to report online exploitation
https://www.missingkids.org/home [missingkids.org]
Family Media Plan from American Academy of Pediatrics:
Https://www.healthychildren.org/English/fmp/Pages/MediaPlan.aspx [healthychildren.org]
Be Internet Awesome Program for teaching kids online safety
https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en_us [beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com]
If you have information about this case or concerns about school safety measures, contact me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
