Knox Co. commissioner: School board should refuse Larry Arnn-associated charter schools after degrading teacher comments

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Knox County Commissioner Courtney Durrett released a statement Monday asking the school board to refuse any charter schools associated with Dr. Larry Arnn of Hillsdale College.

The statement is in response to several degrading comments made by Arnn, who works as an education advisor for Gov. Bill Lee. In June, Arnn and Lee attended an event where Arnn spoke on Tennessee teachers, saying things like “teachers are trained in the dumbest parts of the dumbest colleges in the country.” The two were captured in a video at the event, and Lee was not seen refuting or addressing the comments.

Arnn is currently working through a deal with the state to help implement between 50 and 100 charter schools across Tennessee. Durrett released the statement addressed to the Knox County School Board, board member candidates and Gov. Lee himself.

“This letter is an open request to the Knox County School Board... to reject all charter school proposals associated with Hillsdale College,” Durrett said. “As a Knox County commissioner, but more importantly a former public school teacher, I could never support any Knox County taxpayer dollars directed to such schools.”

Durrett, who worked as a teacher for several years, went on to say that Arnn’s comments were insulting to her, and even addressed Arnn’s response to the video’s circulation. Durrett said that Arnn has so far refused to apologize for his comments and Lee has not refuted the comments.

“Knox County School Board, please refuse any associated with Hillsdale College, and Gov. lee, please send Larry Arnn back to Michigan,” she said. “We don’t need him here.”

Copyright 2022 WVLT. All rights reserved.