ROCKWOOD, Tenn. — A Roane County teacher and baseball coach was investigated and disciplined amid allegations of inappropriate conduct toward female students, according to documents 10News reviewed through Tennessee's Open Records law.
Jacob Witter, who had taught at Rockwood High School and coached baseball at Roane County High School, was accused of sexual harassment in 2023.
The Roane County Sheriff's Office investigated and found evidence supporting inappropriate conduct toward female students, an incident report from investigators shows. They did not, however, find evidence Witter committed a crime.
After the investigation, Roane County Schools removed Witter as a baseball coach and transferred him to a different school.
Through his attorney, Witter declined comment for this story. Roane County Director of Schools Russell Jenkins has not responded to requests for comment.
The incident report said several students told investigators Witter's comments in class made them uncomfortable.
Investigators wrote Witter told a student that "after she turned 18 that she needs to be aware that some male teachers may want to have sex with her." The report said Witter winked at that student, then walked away.
Another complaint said Witter wrote a word describing a sex act on a piece of paper and gave it to a student. Investigators said the act involved someone providing oral sex to a man who is defecating, the incident report shows.
Students reported Witter would body shame other teachers and students, investigators wrote. Witter accused a student of being pregnant and "anytime she would tell him she had an appointment he would say to her 'is it about your pregnancy?'" the report said. The student was not pregnant and never had been, the report said.
A student told investigators Witter liked to pull her ponytail, the incident report said.
Roane County Sheriff's deputies wrote no student accused Witter of any sexual touching, stalking or sexual propositions.
Evidence did not support any crime by Coach Witter, the incident report said, but it did show inappropriate conduct with female students.
A letter in Witter's personnel file shows the school district placed him on administrative leave without pay Nov. 13, 2023, to investigate allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct. The Sheriff's Office investigation began that day, the incident report said.
On Dec. 7, a subsequent letter in Witter's personnel file shows Witter's conduct "violated the Teacher Code of Ethics." The school district suspended Witter without pay for three days, backdated to Nov. 14-16 and removed him as baseball coach at Roane County High School.
The district transferred Witter from his teaching job at Rockwood High School to Midtown Educational Center, a school where students are remanded for disciplinarian issues or are attending the Graduate Assistance Program, the school's website said.
Witter began working at Rockwood High School in 2008 and moved to tenure status in 2011.
On March 28, 2023, a letter in Witter's personnel file said he was suspended from coaching baseball at Kingston High School for two games after an incident on the field.