{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nKeith Ervin is a Washington County Board of Education member representing District 1, running as a Republican for reelection on the Aug. 6, 2026 general-election ballot [1]. Ervin finished third in the May 2026 Republican primary with 999 votes, trailing Vince Walters (1,542) and board chair Annette Buchanan (1,480) [2].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\nAt an April 2, 2026 Washington County Board of Education meeting, Ervin was recorded telling a student board member, \"God, you're hot, you know that? Where do you go to school at?\" and appeared to reach over and touch her shoulder [3][4]. The remark prompted public outcry, including a Change.org petition calling for Ervin's removal that gathered more than 2,500 signatures [5]. Board chair Annette Buchanan called Ervin's comments and actions \"shocking\" and said he \"objectified and diminished a young woman\" [4]. On April 8, 2026, the board voted unanimously to censure Ervin at a special session; Tennessee's Administrator of Elections said an elected board member cannot be removed from office, only resign, making censure the board's only available disciplinary tool [6]. Ervin has said the video clip lacks context and that he meant only to compliment the student's questions during the meeting; he did not resign [7]. A Washington County grand jury indicted Ervin on May 11, 2026, on a charge of assault-physical contact, a Class B misdemeanor, based on allegations he \"intentionally or knowingly\" caused physical contact with the student; he is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 7, 2026 [8][9]. WSMV reported that Ervin was censured once before, in 2009, for making a \"lewd, juvenile gesture of a sexual nature\" in a classroom at David Crockett High School [10]. Per Ballotpedia, Ervin was first elected to the board in 2006 [11].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Three file for write-in candidacy in Washington County, TN school board race \u2014 WJHL](https://www.wjhl.com/news/your-local-election-hq/three-file-for-write-in-candidacy-in-washington-county-tn-school-board-race/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [Washington County school board member who called student 'hot' trails in May primary \u2014 WVLT](https://www.wvlt.tv/2026/05/20/washington-county-school-board-member-who-called-student-hot-trails-may-primary/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] ['You Are All Cowards' | Washington County Student School Board Member Called 'Hot' Calls for Change \u2014 WVLT](https://www.wvlt.tv/2026/05/08/you-are-all-cowards-washington-county-student-school-board-member-called-hot-calls-change/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[4] [Washington County School Board unanimously votes to censure board member Keith Ervin \u2014 WCYB](https://wcyb.com/news/local/washington-county-tenn-school-board-member-censured) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[5] [Petition: Fire Jerry Boyd and Keith Ervin from Washington County Board of Education \u2014 Change.org](https://www.change.org/p/fire-jerry-boyd-and-keith-ervin-from-washington-county-board-of-education) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[6] [Parents demand action after School Board Member Keith Ervin's comments \u2014 WCYB](https://wcyb.com/news/local/administrator-of-elections-says-board-member-keith-ervin-cannot-be-terminated-only-resign) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[7] [School board member censured for telling student, 'God, you're hot,' says it was taken out of context \u2014 WWNY](https://www.wwnytv.com/2026/04/10/school-board-member-censured-telling-student-god-youre-hot-says-it-was-taken-out-context/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[8] [Censured school board member Keith Ervin charged with assault \u2014 WJHL](https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/censured-school-board-member-keith-ervin-charged-with-assault/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[9] [Washington County, TN, school board member indicted on assault charge following meeting incident \u2014 Local 3 News](https://www.local3news.com/local-news/washington-county-tn-school-board-member-indicted-on-assault-charge-following-meeting-incident/article_e1840b02-4424-4a82-9472-0801800cf763.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[10] [TN school board member who called female student 'hot' censured over a decade ago for 'gesture of a sexual nature' \u2014 WSMV](https://www.wsmv.com/2026/04/08/tn-school-board-member-who-called-female-student-hot-censured-over-decade-ago-gesture-sexual-nature/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[11] [Keith Ervin \u2014 Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Keith_Ervin) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_district_1","county":"Washington","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County School Board District 1"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"KEITH","fullname":"KEITH ERVIN","lastname":"ERVIN","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_district_1","contest_title":"County School Board District 1","county":"Washington","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_school_board_district_1","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_school_board_district_1","contest_title":"County School Board District 1","county":"Washington","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_school_board_district_1","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"R","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_school_board_district_1","office_title":"County School Board District 1","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Incumbent Washington County school board member for District 1, censured in April 2026 and indicted on a simple-assault charge over an incident with a student board member; running for reelection Aug. 6, 2026.","terms":[],"token":"Wm7X4nZKVu"}