LES janitor fired; parents question school's silence

Criticism mounts after Eric Wayne Fleming charged with simple assault

9:25 a.m. Jan. 23, 2026 • Updated 3:05 p.m. Jan. 23, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Parents of Lynchburg Elementary School students say they only found out about an employee’s termination and later assault charge through their children and word-of-mouth, not from the school system.

“This wouldn’t be out there if my wife hadn’t asked our kids,” one parent told the Observer. “It was all kept quiet until we made the school answer for what had happened. This was swept under the rug and hoped to not come to light.”

Another parent raised concerns about when parents were informed.

“[Fleming] was fired on January 7th. He was arrested on January 14th. And parents are hearing about it on January 22nd?” the parent asked. “Why weren’t parents notified on January 7th?”

These concerns came after 45-year-old Eric Wayne Fleming, a former Lynchburg Elementary School janitor, was charged with two counts of simple assault under Tennessee law after an investigation by the Metro Moore County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigation Timeline

The investigation started on Jan. 7, when Moore County Schools told law enforcement that an employee had been fired for conduct reported on campus.

The Observer learned that Lynchburg Elementary School Principal Brooke Lindsey was told about the alleged conduct, reviewed security camera footage, and then notified School Resource Officer Mike Rainey, which started the formal investigation.

The school's review included not only the incident in question but also a broader look at surveillance footage to understand the context and events that preceded Fleming’s actions.

The Observer, with confirmation from the sheriff’s office, reported that the incident happened in the school cafeteria. Investigators found that several students were sitting at a lunch table when Fleming made inappropriate physical contact.

Parents have alleged Fleming poked students with his fingers – “goosed” them – and flipped their hair while walking the hallways. The incident in question shows the student was on her knees in front of the other students when Fleming grabbed the student at the waist and flipped them to their feet. Authorities stressed that the behavior was not sexual and did not involve hitting or injuring any students.

“We take whatever someone tells us, we try to substantiate it, and if we do, we present it to the District Attorney’s Office,” Sheriff Tyler Hatfield said.

The incident report names one juvenile victim, age 11. Investigators looked at surveillance video and an audio recording from the school. The sheriff’s office reached out to the parents of the students whose names were given by the school system, who were present during the incident. The school system reached out to the parents of all the children present during the incident. Hatfield said one parent decided to press charges, which led to the criminal case.

Fleming was booked at 8:37 a.m. on Jan. 14 and later released on bond. He is set to appear in General Sessions Court on Jan. 27.

In a statement released Thursday, Jan. 22, the Metro Moore County Sheriff’s Office said it has received more calls from concerned parents and is continuing to follow up on complaints as they come in.

“On January 7, 2026, the Metro Moore County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Moore County School System of the termination of an employee,” the statement read. “An investigation was initiated by our SRO based on the circumstances of the termination and the individual was charged with one count of simple assault. We have received other calls from concerned parents and are following up on complaints as they arise. This is an ongoing investigation in conjunction with the School System and the District Attorney’s Office.”

Officials said the case is still being reviewed with Moore County Schools and the District Attorney’s Office. No new charges have been announced.

School System Response

Director of Schools Chad Moorehead said student safety is the top priority for Lynchburg Elementary staff and district leaders.

“Student safety is always at the forefront of our decisions,” Moorehead said. “The school took immediate action.”

Moorehead said the school system followed its usual protocols after the alleged conduct was reported and quickly handed the case to the Metro Moore County Sheriff’s Office for investigation.

Moore County Schools chose not to announce Fleming’s termination right away out of caution, after talking with legal counsel. Moorehead said three attorneys provided advice, and their main concern was the risk of defamation while the investigation was ongoing.

He added that the decision was not meant to downplay the incident, but to avoid naming someone before charges were filed or all facts were known.

Comparisons to Bedford County Case Rejected

Some parents have compared the Lynchburg Elementary case to a recent, unrelated investigation in Bedford County. Moore County Schools disagreed with these comparisons, saying the situations are very different.

In Bedford County, the Shelbyville Police Department reported that Bryan Alan Whittinghill, a history teacher at Shelbyville Central High School, is under investigation for alleged child sex crimes. Police said Whittinghill is accused of having inappropriate contact with two teenage girls, with the alleged conduct beginning in 2023 and continuing into 2026.

Whittinghill has been charged with seven counts of sexual battery by an authority figure, and Shelbyville police have said additional charges are possible.

Moore County Schools emphasized that no sexual conduct was alleged in the Lynchburg Elementary case, and law enforcement confirmed that Fleming’s actions were not sexual.

Questions Over Public Records and Transparency

Several parents who contacted the Observer said they were confused by what they found, or didn’t find, when searching Fleming’s name on the county’s Mobile Patrol app. Some said the listing seemed incomplete and did not clearly state what Fleming was charged with.

Sheriff Hatfield explained that VINELink, the county’s jail management system, controls the information shown in Mobile Patrol.

“It is an automated system,” Hatfield said. “The information is there when someone is booked in. Once they bond out and are booked out of our system, VINELink removes the information.”

While law enforcement reached out to the parents of students directly involved, several other Lynchburg Elementary parents said the school system never told them that an employee had been fired for inappropriate conduct.

“I feel like my kids have been failed,” one parent said.

Another parent criticized the advice given after the issue became public.

“This isn’t something you talk with your kids about at the end of the day,” the parent said. “Being told to ‘talk with your children’ is not a valid excuse for the school not to tell parents about the incident.”

Several parents said they only learned about the investigation after talking with other families.

“Who thinks about that stuff?” one parent said. “The school still has not reached out to parents. We heard about this through word-of-mouth. That’s inexcusable.”

Another parent said the lack of transparency has damaged trust.

“It’s the silence,” the parent said. “I don’t think it was handled right.”

As of publication, Fleming is presumed innocent. The investigation is ongoing, and the sheriff’s office encourages anyone with more information or concerns to come forward.

• Update: Clarified that the sheriff's office reached out to the parents provided by the school system, and that the school system contacted all parents whose children were present during the incident.
• Update: Added statement from Moore County Schools