Responsibility to Profession:
Time off
Since 2015, 37 educators have had their license revoked, and 8 educators have had their licensees suspended because of convictions occurring outside of school duties.
The state of Tennessee defines a conviction as " a judgment entered by a court upon a plea of guilty, a plea of nolo contendere, a finding of guilt by a jury or the court notwithstanding any pending appeal or habeas corpus proceeding arising from the judgment. Conviction includes, but is not limited to, a conviction by a federal court or military tribunal, including a court-martial conducted by the armed forces of the United States, and a conviction, whether upon a plea of guilty, a plea of nolo contendere, or a finding of guilt by a jury or the court, in any other state of the United States, other jurisdiction, or other country. Conviction also includes a plea taken in conjunction with Tennessee Code Annotated (“T.C.A.”) § 40-35-313 or its equivalent in any other jurisdiction."
The Educator Licensure Rule 0520-02-03-.09 states that the State Board of Education may revoke, suspend, formally reprimand, or refuse to issue or renew an educator's license for: (a) conviction of a felony or (b) conviction of possession of illegal drugs. Upon receiving notification that an individual has been convicted of a felony, the educator shall be subject to disciplinary action within the range of a suspension of not less than two (2) years up to and including permanent revocation of the convicted individual’s educator license.