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A Tennessee school board member who was caught on camera telling a teenager “God, you’re hot” at a public meeting was expected to lose his re-election bid, according to reports.
Keith Ervin, a Republican, came in behind three other candidates, including two other Republicans and a Democrat, according to a Thursday report by local WCYB News 5.
Ervin was charged with assault in the disturbing April 2 incident, which took place during a Washington County, Tennessee, school board meeting.
Video of the meeting, which was being livestreamed, showed Ervin put his arm around the teen to pose for a picture, and captured him making the lewd remark and smiling.
“God, you’re hot, you know that? Where do you go to school at?” he said, a comment which initially prompted laughs from the audience and fellow board members.
The girl had given a presentation and was seated next to Ervin at the meeting, video showed.
Ervin was due in court Friday on the assault charge, local station WSMV4 reported.
The remark was widely condemned, including by Ervin’s fellow school board members who decried the “grossly inappropriate comment.” He was also censured.
The official in Washington County, about 90 minutes northeast of Knoxville, made headlines after the April remark went viral, prompting the girl’s dad to lambast him.
“Let us be absolutely clear: We do not condone Keith Ervin’s behavior in any way,” according to a social media post by the dad, which was reported by News Channel 11.
“His actions — lewd gestures, a grossly inappropriate comment, and unwanted physical contact with a student — are unacceptable under any circumstance. Intent does not excuse impact. His refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing only deepens our concern. We do not believe he should be anywhere near students.”
Ervin later apologized, claiming in a statement he was “not always good with words.”
“If that’s all you’re seeing, I understand why people are reacting the way they are,” he said of the viral video of his remark.
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