Substitute teacher charged after incident at Sequatchie Elementary School

A now-fired substitute teacher at Griffith Elementary School in Sequatchie County was arrested on child abuse charges in connection with an incident at the school on April 26, according to the sheriff and the county’s schools superintendent.

Thomas Lloyd Alden, 53, of Crossville, Tennessee, is charged with attempted child abuse or neglect for allegedly injuring a child under 8 at school, Sequatchie County Sheriff Bill Phillips said. He did not describe the injury.

“It wasn’t sexual,” Philips said in a telephone interview.

(READ MORE: Lookout Mountain man’s extradition hearing canceled on child abuse charges)

The incident resulted in physical contact, the sheriff said. The case information was submitted directly to the Sequatchie County grand jury, which indicted Alden. Alden is scheduled to make his first court appearance on July 23, officials said.

Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Office / Thomas Lloyd Alden, 53, of Crossville, Tennessee.

A phone number for Alden could not be found and he did not respond to a message sent through social media to an account under his name. According to jail officials, Alden was released on $7,500 bail on June 4. Officials with the Sequatchie County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office said Alden does not have an attorney on file.

Phillips said the investigation was launched after school system officials contacted police and was conducted by detectives from the sheriff’s office and the Tennessee State Department of Child Protective Services.

Sequatchie County Schools Superintendent Sarai Pierce said Alden had already been on duty for days when school officials first learned of the incident.

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“On May 3, school system officials were made aware of allegations that a substitute teacher, Thomas Alden, assaulted a student on the Griffith Elementary campus,” Pierce said in an emailed statement. “The school system immediately removed the substitute teacher from campus and began an investigation. The investigation determined that the substitute teacher had behaved inappropriately toward a student, and the substitute teacher was immediately terminated.”

“He had been working as a substitute for less than a week,” Pierce said. “The school system followed protocol and reported it to both DCS (Department of Children’s Services) and the Sheriff’s Department.”

Because the investigation is still ongoing, there was no further comment from school officials, Pierce said.

Contact Ben Benton at [email protected] or 423-757-6569.