NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A controversial vote by the Metro Council may cost Nashville taxpayers more than $2 million.
In 2020, longtime Nashville Fire Captain Tracy Turner was demoted to firefighter after making social media posts about Black protesters following the death of George Floyd. Turner sued, arguing that the city violated his First Amendment rights. A judge agreed, and the city initially reached a settlement with Turner for $105,000.
However, in March 2024, Metro Council members rejected the settlement.
“I believe free speech is important, but in this case, he has crossed over the line from free speech to lack of public trust,” District 19 Council Member Jacob Kupin said.
Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz warned council members they would likely lose more money if the case went to court, and it turns out he was right.
“Do you want to take that risk, and do you believe this is a case worth fighting for, or do you want to minimize and accept a settlement that we believe to be in the range of reasonableness?” Dietz said.
Last week, a federal jury awarded Turner nearly $1.8 million in damages, plus attorney’s fees.
NC5 legal analyst Nick Leonardo said the council tried to make a statement, but it cost the city big bucks.
“The message is going the other way, Metro Council. You need to listen to the lawyers with Metro Legal, and if you disagree, you can always defer the settlement,” Leonardo said. “It’s a drop in the bucket in the annual budget, but it’s still a substantial amount of money. When the money is used for this, it’s not going to be available for other things.”
Turner’s attorney, Larry Crain, was pleased with the outcome.
“This is an important vindication of a public employee’s freedom to exercise their right of free speech,” Crain said. “We should never tolerate government retaliation against an employee for speaking out on matters of inherent public concern.”
Dietz acknowledged the ruling but expressed concerns about the decision.
“We respect the judge and jury’s decision, but we respectfully disagree,” Dietz said. “We believe the discipline imposed was both appropriate and lawful, based on case law that lets the government balance its legitimate interests against those of the rights of the employee. We also have significant concerns with the size of the award. We are evaluating possible next steps.”
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at aaron.cantrell@newschannel5.com
It takes a village! Hats off to the Wilson County Rotary clubs for investing in our kids in such a tangible way. Putting 100,000 books in the hands of little learners is something to celebrate. I love that they store the books in a bank vault — they truly are priceless!
-Carrie Sharp
