A former school counselor at T.A. Dugger Junior High School pled guilty in court Thursday to a felony charge brought following an investigation into a complaint of “inappropriate contact.”
Brian Moore, 47, of Elizabethton, entered a guilty plea by information to a charge of felony reckless endangerment and was sentenced to one year of probation with the Tennessee Department of Corrections. As part of his sentenced, Moore must pay a $50 fine and court costs and was ordered to have no contact with the victim in the case.
Moore entered what is known as a “plea by information agreement for means of best interest” which means he entered into an agreement with the state to bypass Grand Jury probable cause proceedings and enter a guilty plea. As part of the agreement with the state, Moore was granted diversion, which means if he successfully completes the terms of his probation he can petition the court to have the conviction removed from his record.
Elizabethton Police Department Capt. Joy Shoun said the department began an investigation on April 14 into allegations of inappropriate contact between an adult female victim and Moore.
“The victim reported that on April 13, 2016, while visiting Brian Moore in his office at T.A. Dugger Jr. High School, she was inappropriately touched,” Shoun said.
In April, Elizabethton City Schools Director Dr. Corey Gardenhour confirmed the school system was investigating a complaint of inappropriate physical contact between Moore and another school system employee, but he did not specify whom the complaint was made against. Gardenhour said the day after the complaint was filed Moore resigned from his position with the school system.