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Knoxville man convicted of stalking his child's teacher

Prosecutors said the man stalked and harassed the teacher in 2020, and later broke a protective order by coming to her school and calling her from the office.

KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — The Knox County District Attorney General's office said a man is facing years behind bars after being convicted of stalking a teacher in 2020.

According to DA Charme Allen's office, Derrick Garland, 36, was convicted of two counts of aggravated stalking and violation of a protective order.

Prosecutors said the victim taught Garland's child. According to police, Garland began stalking and harassing the woman, so she was granted an order of protection against him on April 23, 2020.

On August 21, 2020, prosecutors said Garland violated the order by going to the victim's school, saying the victim had received a message that she had a visitor at the front office. She said she arrived to find Garland waiting for her. When she fled back inside the school, Garland told her he'd be waiting for her outside.

The Knoxville Police Department arrived and found Garland in the school parking lot. He was arrested and later posted bond, but prosecutors said he violated the order again on November 19, 2020 when he returned to the school. School security called KPD, and he ran when police arrived.

Garland faces sentencing on December 10. The DA's office said aggravated stalking carries one to two years in prison, and violation of a protective order carries up to a year.

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