A Tennessee legislative staffer was suspended for allegedly shouting at Rep. Justin Jones inside the Tennessee State Capitol.
Rep. Jones and another Democratic Tennessee lawmaker, Justin Pearson, made national news. They were expelled from the legislature in April because they led protesters with a bullhorn on the House floor, interrupting proceedings. A third Democrat, state Rep. Gloria Johnson, avoided being expelled after some Republicans supported her. They are now collectively known as the “Tennessee Three.”
Mr. Jones said he filed a complaint against the staffer last month following an incident outside his legislative office.
He added that the staffer confronted him in the hallway, began yelling at him, and didn’t leave until another lawmaker intervened. He also said that an independent investigation was conducted, and it was determined that the staffer would be suspended until May.
“No matter who you are, no one should be talking to another person like that,” Mr. Jones said.
The staffer works for a fellow Democratic House member.
Connie Ridley, the Legislature’s administrative director, provided a letter to The Associated Press that was sent to the staffer on January 30. The letter said the staffer would be placed on “disciplinary suspension” until May 3, with pay being withheld between February 1 and February 16.
“On the evening of January 9, 2024, you were in an inappropriate confrontation with a Member of the House of Representatives,” the letter states. “This incident occurred in the hallway adjacent to the Member’s office. Your conduct failed to maintain a satisfactory and harmonious working relationship with the Member and has caused disruption in daily operations for the Member and other individuals who were impacted by your actions.”
The letter also stated that the staffer must complete “emotional and behavioral health” counseling before returning to work.
Republicans ousted Reps. Jones and Pearson last April over their megaphone-amplified protest on the House floor calling for gun control days after a Christian elementary school shooting killed six people. Republicans spared Rep. Johnson from expulsion for her role in the demonstration by one vote.
Mr. Jones and Mr. Pearson were quickly reappointed back to their positions and then reelected in special elections.
The three Tennessee lawmakers had in late March led hundreds of protesters to the Tennessee state Capitol to call for tighter gun control laws, disrupting state House proceedings.
Republicans in the state House said all three lawmakers had violated decorum rules. Unlike Mr. Jones and Mr. Pearson, Ms. Johnson did not use a megaphone to lead chants during the protest, which may have been why she was spared from expulsion by a margin of just one vote.
After their temporary expulsion, the three met with President Joe Biden, discussing gun safety and accepting the President’s praise.
“You’re standing up for our kids. You’re standing up for our communities—safer communities—and democratic values. That’s what it’s all about,” President Biden said.
The Democrat president called the actions of the GOP-controlled Tennessee legislature “shocking” in having expelled Justin and Jones, saying the move was “without any precedent.”
“We passed the most significant gun laws that have passed in 30 years, but there’s more to do,” President Biden said. “What happened was that we did—we made background checks and legislation with so-called ’red flag laws.’”
Vice President Kamala Harris also met with the three state lawmakers when traveling to Nashville in April. However, her trip drew criticism for not meeting with the victims of the school shooting.
After their expulsion, Mr. Jones and Mr. Pearson also participated in a Washington protest organized by Climate Defiance, a youth-led climate protest group.
The group alleges President Biden is committing “ecocide” because of oil projects he approved, including the 30-year Willow oil field development project in Alaska, which will produce as much as 180,000 barrels of oil a day.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
