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Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to Dalton as having a family member on the BCS Board of Education. This has been corrected to reflect the fact that some of Dalton’s family members served as administrators within the BCS system.

A federal lawsuit could result in a Blount County Schools teacher losing her tenured position.

Kathryn “Katie” Goins (formerly Belcher) was a certified K-12 interventionist and special education teacher leading the Comprehensive Development Classroom at Union Grove Middle School in Friendsville beginning in 2016. She was suspended by a unanimous board vote in June 2025 after a Human Resources audit flagged allegations of physical, sexual and verbal misconduct within her personnel file from 2018 to 2020.

The same vote specified that Goins’ contract would be terminated if any of the allegations were found to be true. No criminal charges have been filed against Goins to date; however, Blount County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Marian O’Briant told The Daily Times that an investigation into Goins remains active.

“The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is conducting a parallel investigation, so we are keeping ours open until their case is closed, too,” said O’Briant.

Blount County District Attorney General Ryan Desmond confirmed that the agency has reviewed the allegations against Goins and would be open to pursuing criminal charges if new evidence or information emerges as a result of the ongoing civil case.

“It’s possible. An investigation is never really permanently closed. If more evidence of a crime or criminal acts comes to light, and the case falls within the appropriate statute of limitations, a prosecutor could consider charging the matter then,” said Desmond.

Desmond added that it is unusual for a civil case to lead to criminal charges, but when it does, the civil case is usually stayed, or placed on hold, pending the outcome of the criminal case. In Goins’ case, if civil discovery uncovers new evidence that the defendants engaged in criminal conduct chargeable under the state’s statute of limitations, it could reignite dismissal procedures originally initiated by BCS Director of Schools Justin Ridge in May 2025.

Allegations

On April 16, a group of parents filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee on behalf of three students — “JG, RB and TW” — whom they say were subjected to inappropriate physical, sexual and verbal conduct while under Goins’ care. Plaintiffs allege that, among other things, Goins handled and spoke about students’ genitalia, took students to the restroom alone in violation of UGMS policy, called students degrading names such as “bootyhole,” threw shoes at them and aggressively handled disabled students.

Goins also reportedly would intentionally let down her hair in front of a student known to become excited by women’s hair to encourage the student to walk laps, walk to the bus or simply “to send him home happy.”

Many of the allegations included in the parents’ lawsuit stem from reports unearthed as a part of a BCS Human Resources audit, which had been triggered by the arrest and prosecution of two other former BCS teachers: Joseph Dalton and Shane Rewis.

Dalton, a former gym instructor who had several family members in administrative positions in the district, had a more than 20-year history within the school system marked by complaints that he engaged inappropriately with young female students. He was sentenced to six months of probation in April 2025 after pleading guilty to offensively touching students.

State records indicate Dalton voluntarily and permanently surrendered his 10-year license to teach K-12 physical education on Nov. 21, 2025.

Rewis, a former Heritage High School track coach and science instructor, pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted solicitation of a minor by electronic means on Feb. 19 and received two years to serve, with an additional 10 years suspended. His license remains active.

Goins’ personnel file indicates a Department of Children’s Services investigation was opened into several of the aforementioned allegations in 2020, but all allegations were deemed unsubstantiated shortly afterward. Former Director of Schools Rob Britt had Goins transferred to Heritage High School soon after. In a letter to BCS Special Education Supervisor April Herron, Britt defended the decision to transfer Goins, writing:

“I have an unwavering belief that Ms. Belcher will be an outstanding educator as she grows in her career. I believe this process can be a part of her growth as an educator. I made a commitment to her, and to one of our board members, to make her a good teacher. Given the poor judgment I believe her to have used in handling situations in her classroom, I don’t believe it is possible for me to honor that commitment to her here at UGMS.”

Goins received tenure on Jan. 10, 2022 — just over a year after the first allegations were documented. Plaintiffs allege this was due, at least in part, to the fact that her father, Fred Goins, was still serving on the Blount County Board of Education at the time. Because of this, and what they contend was a concerted effort to conceal the allegations from parents, plaintiffs named Goins, her father, Britt, former UGMS Principal John Webb, the school system, the Board of Education and the county as defendants in the pending lawsuit.