(a) As used in this section, “educator” means any person who is currently employed at any public or private elementary or secondary school in this state:
Terms Used In Tennessee Code 24-2-109
Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(1) As a teacher with an active teaching license; or(2) As a school counselor.(b) Notwithstanding any other law, a court shall not require an educator to be a witness in any civil hearing, deposition, mediation, arbitration, trial, or other similar proceeding involving a domestic dispute matter, including, but not limited to, domestic abuse, as defined by § 36-3-601, divorce, parentage, or child custody, if the educator is not a named party and the educator’s attendance would require the educator to be absent from teaching, counseling, or supervisory duties in a school, unless the court determines that the educator’s attendance is necessary to ensure fairness in the hearing, mediation, arbitration, trial, or other similar matter.
