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Friday morning the New Tazewell Police Department charged three juveniles with being delinquent via Aggravated Rape in connection to an incident that took place at Claiborne High School, according to a release from District Attorney General Jared Effler.

“This matter has been investigated by the New Tazewell Police Department with assistance from the Tazewell Police Department and the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office,” the release read. “The juveniles are presumed innocent. The aforementioned charges are merely accusations and not evidence.”

The incident occurred on Tuesday, July 30, following a practice session during the Claiborne football team’s camp. Law enforcement was contacted by the school’s administration and asked to conduct a full investigation.

Claiborne County Director of Schools Meredith Arnold addressed the issue during Thursday’s regular school board meeting at Clairfield Elementary. After thanking those in attendance, she read the following statement as several members of the board nodded in agreement:

“Both our school board members and our administrative team remain fully aware that an incident occurred during the Claiborne High School football camp. We treat such matters with the utmost importance, which is why law enforcement was immediately notified and asked to conduct a full investigation. Because that law enforcement investigation remains ongoing and because Claiborne County Schools possess a duty to at all times protect student privacy, neither the board nor I as the director of schools can offer any further specific comments on that situation.

Once the law enforcement investigation stands as complete we trust the District Attorney’s Office to take appropriate action and update you, the public, regarding the same.

“With that, I do want to take a moment to publicly thank not only the District Attorney’s Office, but also both the New Tazewell and Tazewell police departments for all their diligent and professional work on this matter to date. I also want to end these remarks by assuring our students, our parents and all members of our Claiborne County community that we are taking this matter seriously and that we will never stop working tirelessly to prioritize the safety of our students. If any mistakes were made by Claiborne County Schools then we will also work hard to identify such mistakes and take steps to ensure they are never repeated. We understand the importance of trust at Claiborne County Schools and we are going to do everything within our power to strengthen the trust you have in our school system moving forward, you have my word.”

After the charges were announced on Friday, Arnold declined any further comment on the matter. She cited confidentiality laws that protect student privacy and deferred any further questions to the District Attorney’s Office.

On Wednesday, CHS Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Andrew McGinnis told the Claiborne County Sports Zone that Nathan Medlin had resigned as Claiborne’s head football coach on Monday.

“Due to questions surrounding the Claiborne High School Football Program, the school would provide this update: Claiborne High School will have a football team for the 2024-2025 season. Coach Nathan Medlin resigned his position as head coach on Monday, effective immediately. Corey McGinnis has been named interim head coach for this season. Practice resumed today,” Andrew McGinnis said on Wednesday.