Outcry over former Blount County teacher’s sentencing prompts action from Tennessee General Assembly

MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Ongoing community unrest over the sentencing of former Blount County teacher Joseph Dalton has prompted action from state legislators.

Rep. Tom Stinnett said Tuesday he plans to meet with District Attorney General Ryan Desmond to discuss the case, which has prompted public outcry and concern for student safety in Blount County.

Dalton pleaded guilty in September to five cases of assault against Blount County students and was sentenced at the end of April to six months of supervised probation. He also still has a valid teaching license, a fact that likely won’t change for months.

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Stinnett said he plans to learn more about the situation then decide if there’s need for further action. Blount County leaders like Desmond, Commissioner Jared Anderson and Mayor Ed Mitchell have all called on state legislators to make a legal change that would make teachers guilty of assault face harsher punishment.

Anderson announced Friday that he planned to submit a resolution formally asking the general assembly in Nashville to up the punishment for those who assault minors.

“One of the things that has become painfully clear to our community is that our laws do not go far enough to protect our children,” Anderson said. “Our community is rightfully outraged by what happened, and we stand with the victims in demanding that it never be allowed to happen again.”

The resolution calls on state legislators to create a new, more serious offense for assaulting minors. The resolution also asks for a change in law that requires offenders to automatically lose their licenses after being convicted. Dalton’s license is flagged for review, but is still active and has been since he pleaded guilty in September.

“We stand with the victims and calling for this to never happen again, and we think it should be severely punished when it does,” Anderson said. “I would like for the legislature to look at this as a kind of a case study of what we can do, how we can fix the system.”

Previous Coverage: ‘We want justice’ | Protestors call for action after former Blount County teacher gets probation in assault case

Stinnett is not the only legislator in Nashville looking into Dalton’s case. Sen. Becky Massey, who represents part of Knox County, said she plans to look into what happened closer and see about further action.

Sen. Tom Hatcher and Rep. Jerome Moon, who both also represent portions of Blount County, have not responded to requests from WVLT News.