Tennessee
Ousted Tennessee Rep. Sues House Speaker For Expelling And Silencing Him
Topline
Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones, a Democrat representing parts of Nashville, has sued the House speaker who led the effort to expel Jones and one of his colleagues from the legislature in April—the latest aftermath of an event that thrust Jones into the national spotlight.
Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones speaks from the House floor during a special session of the state … [+]
Key Facts
Jones’ lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Nashville federal court, argued House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Republicans deprived him of committee appointments, denied him the legislative tenure he would have earned during his expulsion and forced him to spend $70,000 on a new reelection campaign to return to the House.
Jones also argues the proceedings in which he and one other lawmaker were ousted were “rigged against them from the start” and a violation of the due process clause of the Constitution because he wasn’t given adequate time and resources to mount a defense.
Jones also alleged that Sexton, since he returned to the House, violated his freedom of speech when he enacted new rules that allowed him to silence Jones during an August special session.
The lawsuit alleges racial discrimination, arguing Jones, who is Black, was treated differently than one of his white colleagues because of his race.
Forbes has reached out to Sexton for comment.
Key Background
In April, Jones and two of his Democratic colleagues, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson, joined protesters on the House floor in demanding the state take action on gun violence after a school shooting in Nashville left six dead, including three 9-year-olds and three teachers. Jones, Pearson and Johnson joined protesters who had disrupted debate and entered the House floor. Republicans in the House, led by Sexton, voted to expel Jones and Pearson—but narrowly voted not to expel Johnson—over the incident, arguing they violated House rules. Both Jones and Pearson were subsequently reappointed to the House by local officials responsible for naming their replacements and re-elected to their seats by voters in August, but not before the event sparked a nationwide controversy and gave the three representatives—nicknamed the “Tennessee Three”—national name recognition. Johnson was not expelled because the resolution seeking to remove her failed to receive the necessary two-thirds majority vote. When asked why she wasn’t expelled but her colleagues were, Johnson (who is white, while Jones and Pearson are Black) said, “It might have to do with the color of our skin.”
News Peg
This is not the first attack Jones has launched against Sexton since the speaker ousted him. In August, Jones called for a vote of no confidence against Sexton, accusing him of “leading our state down the path to failure, humiliation and authoritarianism.” Jones’ proposal did not come to fruition in the Republican supermajority House.
Tangent
Jones is not the only member of the “Tennessee Three” to make headlines since the incident in April. In early September, Johnson announced she was running for U.S. Senate. If she wins the primary election, she will challenge incumbent Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). Pearson is serving as a co-chair of her campaign.
Further Reading
Tennessee House Expels 2 Democrats Over Gun Reform Protest (Forbes)
Ousted Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones Calls For No-Confidence Vote For GOP House Speaker (Forbes)
Tennessee Democrat Who Faced Expulsion For Gun Protest Launches Senate Bid (Forbes)
Rep. Justin Jones sues House Speaker Cameron Sexton over expulsion, vote to silence him (The Nashville Tennessean)
Rep. Justin Jones sues Tennesssee House Speaker over expulsion and silencing rules (The Tennessee Lookout)