(WBIR) A Hardin Valley Academy assistant football coach has been suspended after allegations that he sent suggestive text messages and made inappropriate comments to female students.
Jaren Troutman, who was also a teaching assistant, was placed on administrative leave with pay on Feb. 25, according to Melissa Tindell, the Knox County Schools spokeswoman.
10News reviewed his personnel file on Thursday morning.
The file included a Knox County Schools letter dated Feb. 25 notifying Troutman of the allegations.
Knox County Schools Discipline Investigator Becky Wuethrich wrote that there would be a meeting that day for Troutman to have a chance to tell his side of the story.
The letter said Troutman gave students his personal cell phone number and got their numbers as well.
"It is alleged that you have sent suggestive text messages and made inappropriate comments to female students," Wuethrich wrote.
Troutman has a previous conviction for shoplifting and resisting arrest in 2009.
In response to a question from 10News, Knox County Schools said that according to its Human Resources Department, depending on the type of conviction (misdemeanor), the type of offense, and the timeframe that it happened, it could be permissible to hire someone with misdemeanor convictions. A spokesperson said the decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
