Whitley Schools employee arrested for threatening baseball coach

A Whitley County school district employee is facing criminal charges after being arrested late Monday afternoon for allegedly threatening a Whitley County High School baseball coach during a ball game last week.

Whitley County Sheriff Colan Harrell said that Tammy Walker, 42, of Williamsburg, arranged to turn herself into authorities late Monday afternoon.

Chief Deputy K.Y. Fuson and Cpl. Ken Shepherd met Walker about 5:35 p.m. at the Whitley County Detention Center where Shepherd served her with the arrest warrant charging her with menacing and disorderly conduct.

Walker was released from the detention center at 9:23 p.m. after posting a partially secured $2,500 bond, jail officials said.
According to the warrant, Walker allegedly grabbed Assistant Coach Josh Bowman by the shoulder and screamed various profanities at him during the high school baseball game. The umpire then escorted Walker and her husband from the game.
Bowman has been substituting for head coach Burton Richardson, who has been out due to illness.

Whitley County High School was playing a home double header that day against district rival Williamsburg High School.
Bowman obtained the arrest warrant Monday, which was signed by District Judge Cathy Prewitt.

Bowman confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Walker was upset over her son’s playing time, but declined further comment referring further questions to Whitley County High School Principal Alan Sweet.

Whitley County Superintendent Scott Paul said that school officials are currently conducting an internal investigation into the April 13 incident, which he learned about Thursday.

On April 15, Walker was been suspended with pay for 10 days pending the outcome of the investigation and has resigned her position as youth fitness coordinator in the athletic department, Paul said.

This is her tenth year of employment with the school district and she is still employed full-time as Y.O.U. Coordinator in the school district. The suspension still applies to that position and further disciplinary actions may follow pending the outcome of the investigation, Paul said.

The incident happened the day after high school science teacher Dewayne Bunch was seriously injured while trying to break up a fight between two freshmen.

"It’s unfortunate timing that’s for sure," Paul said of the baseball incident.

Bowman is also the director of the Miss Whitley County Fair Pageant.