Fired Elizabethton teacher takes plea deal following video of dragged student

CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – A former Elizabethton teacher who was recorded dragging a student across a gym floor has pleaded guilty to one charge and had another dismissed.

Nicole Horne was in Carter County court Monday morning.

Horne previously faced two charges: simple assault and child abuse and neglect. The child abuse charge was dismissed on Monday.

Horne pleaded guilty to simple assault and is seeking judicial diversion, which could allow the charge to ultimately be expunged from her record provided she meets the necessary requirements.

In order to receive judicial diversion, Horne must complete an anger management course. The court also ordered that she may not have any contact with the victim.

Horne, a former teacher at East Side Elementary, was charged after an investigation into an incident that occurred in the school gym on Nov. 13, 2023. Video captured Horne dragging a fifth-grader by the backpack.

She was suspended without pay the day the incident occurred, and Elizabethton City Schools reports Horne was fired on Dec. 19, 2023 after an investigation.

In February 2024, Elizabethton City Schools Superintendent Richard VanHuss provided News Channel 11 with the following statement regarding the incident:

We hold ourselves to a high standard regarding our interactions with students. The safety and well-being of our students is a responsibility we take very seriously, and we will respond appropriately when needed.

Richard VanHuss, Superintendent of Elizabethton City Schools

Horne had taught in the school system for 10 years.

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