A group of Tennessee lawmakers plans to "hold bad educators accountable for sexual misconduct and other forms of abuse" and create stronger protections for students, according to an Aug. 3 news release.
Six lawmakers who lead the state's House and Senate education committees and subcommittees will spend the months ahead finding "new ways to crack down on all forms of inappropriate behavior and abuse toward Tennessee students," the release from the House Republican Caucus stated.
The release said the move was prompted by the firing of Metro Nashville Public Schools teacher Mario Mumphery, which was first reported by The Tennessean. In a letter addressed to Mumphery last month, MNPS Director Adrienne Battle said he altered photos and videos of students
with artificial intelligence, without their consent, in "inappropriate" ways that made them "extremely uncomfortable."
The Tennessee Department of Children's Services is investigating Mumphery. His firing was unanimously approved by the MNPS board during its regular July 28 meeting.
Lawmakers take aim at 'reprehensible behavior' by teachers
The group of lawmakers includes House Education Committee Chair Mark White, R-Memphis, and Senate Education Committee Chair Dawn White, R-Murfreesboro. House education subcommittee chairs Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, William Slater, R-Gallatin, Charlie Baum, R-Murfreesboro, and Kirk Haston, R-Lobelville, are also part of the group.
"No parent should ever have to question whether their child will be safe in the classroom," a joint statement from the lawmakers in the release read. In the coming months, we will craft legislation that better prioritizes student safety, holds predators accountable and reinforces the integrity of Tennessee's classrooms."
The release pointed to recent efforts to boost student protections, including a prohibition on sexually related behavior between teachers and recently graduated students, the state's anti-grooming act and a law that revokes the teaching licenses of teachers who plead guilty to certain violent crimes.
"Additional proposals to protect students will be considered when the 115th General Assembly convenes on Jan. 12," the release said.
Students say Nashville teacher used AI to alter photos, videos of them
Students reported that Mumphery, who was a tenured teacher at Nashville Big Picture High School, often shared the AI-altered images and videos with other students, according to Battle's letter. It said some of the videos showed students dancing, "moving their hips in weird ways" or moving their bodies in ways students felt were inappropriate.
The altered images also portrayed students in personal and family situations, the letter said. In one instance, it stated, Mumphery showed a video of two male students "twerking" to an entire class. Another student said the teacher altered photos he took of students into "teddy bear style" or cartoon pictures.
Students also told school leaders that Mumphery would text them after hours and ask where they where, Battle wrote. She included a story about a male student who got one of those texts.
"He said while you never texted him anything explicit, you would be very pushy and adamant that he respond quickly to your texts, and that you would get angry if he didn't respond quickly enough to suit you," Battle stated in the letter.
The letter also said Mumphery would insert himself into conversations with students and say things like "students don't want to be in relationships, they just want to have sex." When speaking to a male student about a female student he was dating, the letter said, Mumphery told the boy, "You don't like her, you just want to have sex with her."
Mumphery has not responded to repeated attempts from The Tennessean to contact him.
Rachel Wegner covers education and children's issues for The Tennessean. Got a story you think she should hear? Reach her via email at RAwegner@tennessean.com. You can also find her on X or Bluesky under the handle RachelAnnWegner.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TN lawmakers push to hold teachers accountable for sexual misconduct
