First Grade Teacher in Tennessee Charged With Sex Crimes Against Children

An elementary school teacher in Tennessee was arrested on Monday on 21 charges, including aggravated sexual battery and rape of a child, per the Tennessean.

The Maury County Sheriff’s Department arrested 50-year-old Jonathan Ullrich as his district—Williamson County Schools—confirmed the first grade educator was suspended without pay. The two children mentioned in a grand jury indictment are under the age of 14, and a source told WJHL that they both are related to Ullrich.

An indictment from Maury County Circuit Criminal Court, per the Tennessean, showed that all crimes allegedly took place between 2016 and 2021, and that Ullrich is also being charged with especially aggravated sexual exploitation. Maury County District Attorney Brent Cooper confirmed to the publication that the children involved were not students.

Sheila Staggs, a parent whose 11-year-old daughter attends the district’s middle school, told WJHL that while her daughter didn’t have Ullrich at Fairview Elementary, she met him at school events and is “shocked” by the news. School officials say he was with the district for 18 years and served as a school principal, assistant principal and elementary teacher.

“He seemed like a nice gentleman,” she told the outlet. “He had a great reputation. He was actually teacher of the year last year, and he had a great rapport with the students.”

Officials told WJHL that Ullrich was Teacher of the Year at the elementary level in 2019-2020. When he was principal of Longview Elementary School in 2014, he was reassigned to work at the district’s central office for the remainder of the school year, the Tennessean reports, after allegedly making “inappropriate comments to a female staff member.”

The teacher is now being held at Maury County Corrections on $200,000 bail, and is set to appear in court on Jan. 4 at 9 a.m.

“The charges filed against Mr. Ullrich in Maury County are horrific. The district has no indication that any of the charges out of Maury County are related to his work in WCS,” school officials said in a statement. “However, families who may have information to share with local law enforcement are encouraged to contact the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. If parents are in need of support in talking with their child, counselors are available to guide them through that process, and they should call the school office. If a child needs support at school, parents should reach out to their child’s teacher.”