Unsealed: Former Chatt Prep teacher Kenya White indicted by Federal Grand Jury
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Former Chattanooga Prep teacher Kenya White has now been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury.
According to a now-unsealed Federal court document, White is indicted on several charges, including:
- Coercion or enticement.
- Charges related to transporting a minor for sexual reasons across state lines.
He is being held without bail, in Federal custody.
The dates in the federal indictment overlap those in the original state indictment, which came down in February of this year.
White made his first Hamilton County court appearance on February 21st. After he appeared before a judge to formally hear his charges, he pleaded not guilty.
At a federal court appearance on March 7th, documentation shows a judge ordered that White be detained without bail.
At that court appearance, White was formally charged with exploitation of a minor and one count of enticement of a minor.
White and his attorney were provided a copy of the Complaint and Affidavit to review. Those documents remained sealed to protect the victims.
After losing his position at East Lake Academy, White was hired by Chattanooga Prep eight months later, records we obtained show.
CPD worked with the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office to successfully indict Kenya White on February 10th, 2025. That indictment brought 14 charges against White, including kidnapping and child sexual exploitation.
We later received documents that shed light on when Chattanooga Preparatory found out that White had a disciplinary hold in his state file, which their own emails reveal should have kept him from being hired.
Since this issue came to light:
- Hamilton County Schools demanded documentation about White from Chatt Prep.
- Chattanooga Preparatory School told us Hamilton County Schools has begun the process of revoking its charter.
- We learned that 21 of 45 teachers at Chatt Prep are unlicensed in Tennessee, putting seniors at risk.
- Chattanooga Preparatory School announced it's made two new hires to leadership positions at the school.
This is a developing story. Depend on us to keep you informed.
