Why was a Tennessee legislative staffer placed on leave? Democratic Rep. Justin Jones’ accusation explored

A legislative staffer from Tennessee was placed on leave after Tennessee Representative Justin Jones claimed that the woman yelled at him in the hallway on Tuesday, January 9.

According to Jones, the staffer who worked for a Democratic House member kept yelling at him in the hallway until the intervention of another lawmaker.

A memo given to the staffer, dated January 30, revealed that the disciplinary suspension would last until May 3 and that the period from February 1 to 16 would see her pay withheld. The staffer was also required to participate in counseling sessions during her absence.

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"That is unacceptable in this building, for anyone to yell at anyone": Justin Jones

According to a report by WKRN, the infamous suspension of the Tennessee legislative staffer arose from a conflict between Rep. Torrey Harris and Rep. Justin Jones. Harris claimed that Jones allegedly tried to charge $20 to take pictures with a few students who had come to the house in January to advocate for funding for their school.

Justin Jones told the outlet that the allegation was "untrue" and asked them to ask Tennessee State Senator Sara Kyle, who was present there, to know the reality of the situation. Sarah Kyle told WKRN that she thought that she just had a "jovial conversation" with Jones while heading back to her office. As for the allegations regarding Jones asking $20 from kids for pictures, Kyle revealed:

"Heading back in, we jokingly said, ‘No, no, $20 a picture,’ kiddingly."

After Sarah Kyle got into her office and Rep. Justin Jones was alone in the hallway, Rep. Torrey Harris told WKRN that a staffer of his had confronted Jones regarding the allegations of charging kids for pictures and started arguing with him. The staffer was later served a suspension on January 30. Jones told the outlet that the staffer "yelled" at him in the hallway. Justin Jones said:

"That is unacceptable in this building, for anyone to yell at anyone."

A copy of the memo sent to the staffer on January 30 by the Director of Legislative Administration Connie F. Ridley with the staffer's name kept private, was also obtained by WKRN. The memo mentioned that the staffer had an "inappropriate confrontation" with a "Member of the House of Representatives" (Justin Jones) in the hallway next to the member's office. The memo detailed:

"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."

Due to the severity of her actions and the violation of legislative policy requiring professional conduct, the staffer was hit with a "disciplinary suspension" from January 30 to May 3. Her pay would also be withheld for the specific period from February 1 to 16, after which she'll still receive pay.

The staffer was mandated to attend counseling sessions with the Emotional Wellbeing Solutions program during her absence and has documented proof of having attended the same. The staffer was also barred from contacting and discussing the incident with the member with whom the altercation occurred or with staffers and other members who were present at the time.

The staffer's access to the legislative facility and computer system was disabled, and she was also not allowed to perform any remote legislative work. The staffer was expected to return to work on Monday, May 6, and perform her duties in a "professional manner." The memo concluded by stating that any further failure to comply with the policies of conduct for personnel would result in her termination.