Richard Essex/Eyewitness News
Shelbyville - A veteran middle school teacher is on paid leave, accused of indecent exposure along a busy interstate before class.
Teacher Tom Piles is suspended from teaching his sixth grade Social Studies classes at Shelbyville Middle School after a Shelby County Sheriff Deputy cited him for indecent exposure.
School Principal Denny Ramsey reacted. "Undoubtedly, it's a shocking event. Again, it's all alleged. We are not really sure what happened, but it's certainly a shocking event"
Early Tuesday morning, on his way to school, police say they stopped Piles after a complaint from another driver.
Along a stretch of I-74 in Shelby County according to police reports, Tom Piles pulled along another car, turned his dome light on, and exposed himself. The driver of the other car called police who pulled Piles over in Shelbyville. When he was asked to get out of his car his pants were unzipped.
The police reports says Piles asked the deputy if the school would be notified. After some discussion with the Shelby County Sheriff, the school was called. Police say Piles decided to tell the assistant principal himself.
"Yes, he did he came to school to tell us there had been a situation," said Principal Ramsey, "and that he had been accused of something he didn't do."
School administrators told Eyewitness News Piles is a good employee and teacher in good standing, and no students are involved.
Principal Ramsey says they intend to hear all the evidence. "Certainly he has rights we want to afford him and we'll leave it at that."
The school is conducting an internal investigation, and once the all the facts are in, the superintendent will made a recommendation to the school board.
