Former Elementary School Teacher Convicted of Aggravated Sexual Battery
Shelby County, TN – Following a five-day trial, a Shelby County jury found former Winchester Elementary School teacher Kenneth Clay, Jr. guilty of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Battery on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
Clay was employed as a 4th grade teacher and supervisor of the school’s After Care program during the fall of 2022 when the abuse occurred. According to testimony at trial, the victim—then a student in the After Care program—was forced to engage in explicit sexual acts with Clay on multiple occasions inside the school building.
In one instance, Clay isolated the victim in his classroom while another student acted as a lookout in the hallway. That student testified they opened the classroom door when they saw a teacher approaching and saw Clay zipping up his pants as the victim walked away from his desk. The student later informed their mother, who reported it to school officials.
The victim also testified that Clay inappropriately touched her on multiple other occasions, including another instance inside Clay’s classroom.
Clay resigned from his position at Winchester Elementary in December 2022 after the allegations surfaced. He was out of custody on a $250,000 bond at the time of trial. After the guilty verdict was announced, Judge Chris Craft revoked Clay’s bond, and he was immediately taken into custody. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 31, 2025.
A total of 11 witnesses testified over the course of the trial:
The State called 7 witnesses during its case-in-chief: the victim, the victim’s mother, a school resource officer, the lead MPD detective, the victim’s friend, the friend’s mother, and the forensic interviewer who conducted the child’s forensic interview.
The defense called 3 witnesses: two teachers from the school and the defendant himself.
The State also presented one rebuttal witness, an additional MPD detective who was present during the defendant’s statement to police.
ADAs Robert Steele and Timothy Dye handled the trial.