Lexington High School teacher arrested after alleged altercation with student
LEXINGTON, Tenn. — A Lexington High School teacher was arrested Feb. 26 after investigators say she struck a student in the face with a plastic box during a classroom dispute the day before, according to a booking report from the Henderson County Sheriff Department.
Annette Shavchuk was booked on a charge of Simple Assault under TCA 39-13-101. She has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Lexington High School staff member suspended indefinitely following ‘alleged incident,’ HCS says
Her next court appearance is scheduled for March 24, 2026.
What led to the altercation
The incident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. on Feb. 25 in the “old building” at Lexington High School. According to student witnesses and statements from both Shavchuk and the student involved, the student involved asked Shavchuk for permission to use the restroom during class.
Shavchuk denied the request, citing a prior restroom visit at the start of class. The student left the classroom anyway, taking the hall pass with him.
Shavchuk went to the door and told him he was not permitted to leave, then directed him to speak with Assistant Principal Terry Clement. The student returned to the classroom after using the restroom and was let back in by another student. Shavchuk again directed him to speak with Clement.
He then began arguing with Shavchuk over his cell phone, which was stored in a box Shavchuk keeps in the classroom. During the argument, Shavchuk struck the student in the face with the box.
In her written statement, Shavchuk said, “When he aggressively tried to pull it out of my hand, I swung the hand out that was holding the plastic box and hit him with it.” Shavchuk then told him to “Get the **** out.”
The student involved wrote in his statement that, “She swung the bucket and hit me in my face then pushed me out the classroom and cussed me out.”
Investigators collected nine written statements from students present in the classroom. Seven of the nine students said they witnessed Shavchuk strike the student in the face with the box.
Two of those students wrote that Shavchuk struck him after he had already retrieved his phone from the box. One student wrote that Shavchuk used both hands to grip the box when she struck him. The two remaining students wrote that they did not witness the strike but heard the sound of someone being hit.
Two photographs of the student’s face were take after the incident. The photos show a visible red mark on the side of his face where he said he was struck. The student did not require medical attention.
Principal Brandon Rainey and Director of Schools Danny Beecham placed Shavchuk on unpaid administrative leave pending investigation. Shavchuk requested to leave following the incident on Feb. 25 and was allowed to do so.
On Feb. 27, DCS Investigator Briana Sturm requested that a DCS referral be filed regarding the incident. Sturm said the DCS Special Investigations Unit would be handling the case due to Shavchuk’s position of authority over the student.
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