Kingsport special needs instructor gets two years probation on abuse charges

Former Kingsport teacher Michelle Carpenter said she is trying to maintain integrity after a four year legal process that ended Friday with a sentence of 2 years probation for child abuse charges.

Carpenter faced numerous counts when she was originally charged in 2023 with abusing children in her special needs class, some of which were non-verbal autistic. The plea deal reached in October reduced the counts down to two and Carpenter entered an Alford plea where the defendant does not have to admit guilt but acknowledge that there is enough evidence for cause.

Kingsport City School settled out of court with parents of the children who opened a federal lawsuit against Carpenter.

Assistant Superintendent Andy True announced Carpenter’s employment in September while the teacher noted her retirement while addressing the court. Carpenter’s teaching license is inactive, according to an accessible online database hosted by the Department of Education.