NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A state board voted to suspend the teaching license of Joseph Dalton, a teacher who was sentenced to probation after he pleaded guilty to offensively touching students, for three years on Friday.
The Tennessee State Board of Education met on August 15 for its quarterly meeting, where it discussed a board counsel recommendation for Dalton’s license to be suspended for six months, concurrent with his criminal probation. The board discussed the recommendation and initially considered a motion to revoke his license. That motion failed with a vote of 5-4, but the board then approved another motion to suspend Dalton’s license for three years and impose other requirements for him to be eligible to teach again.
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He will be required to complete 50 hours of professional development training on “in-classroom behaviors,” be assessed by a licensed clinical provider and appear before the State Board again, which will then vote on whether his license will be reactivated.
Dalton is serving six months of supervised probation after he pleaded guilty to five counts of misdemeanor assault by physical contact in September 2024. Despite the prosecution’s arguments, the judge also granted Dalton’s request for a judicial diversion, which means he could have his case expunged from public records if he completes the requirements of his probation…