Image: State Rep. Aron Maberry, a Clarksville Republican, has been accused of ethics violations by a group of his constituents. Image Credit: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout
By Sam Stockard [Tennessee Lookout -CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] –
A Montgomery County group filed a formal complaint with the Tennessee Ethics Commission against state Rep. Aron Maberry, saying he has a conflict of interest as a state House and local school board member.
The group says Maberry, a Clarksville Republican, should resign from the Clarksville Montgomery County School Board, mainly because of his votes in support of state legislation that could “discriminate against immigrant students.”
The complaint, which was filed April 3, bases its argument on Maberry’s vote for House Bill 793, which allows school districts and charter schools to refuse to enroll students without permanent legal documentation, contradicting a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that guarantees all children access to public education.
“By supporting this bill, Mr. Maberry has violated the School Board Code of Ethics, specifically his duty to provide equal education opportunities and to refrain from using his position for partisan gain,” the complaint says.
The group, which includes current and former educators, Catherine Garrigan, Joy Rice, Karen Reynolds, Katherine Lawson and Jeri Hiley-Britain, says in the filing the bill could violate federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color or national origin and risks losing $1.1 billion in federal education funding for Tennessee.
The filing alleges several ethics violations against the first-term representative of House District 68, including failure to uphold student rights and represent the entire school community, allowing partisan influence to affect his votes, undermining diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as failure to prioritize student needs.
Maberry, who voted Monday in favor of the bill restricting illegal immigrant student enrollment, issued a statement saying, “This complaint is without merit and clearly politically motivated. It’s a desperate stunt by woke local leftists who reject the conservative values our community holds dear and that I proudly represent at the Capitol. They are obsessed with overturning the will of the people; all of their previous attempts have failed. I have been fully transparent about my service on the school board and my intention to serve out the remainder of my term. I have full confidence in the Ethics Commission and trust the facts will lead to an appropriate course of action.”
Monday’s meeting of the House Government Operations Committee was interrupted by ministers who recited the Lord’s Prayer in protest of the bill, which passed 8-7.
The issue has roiled the legislature all year, leading opponents to rally against multiple Senate and House committee votes.
The Senate version of the bill sponsored by Sen. Bo Watson of Hixson, chairman of the finance committee, would require school districts to check the immigration status of students and charge them tuition to enroll. The House bill sponsored by House Majority Leader William Lamberth of Portland would give districts the option to check immigration status.
Lawmakers have said they want to pass the measure to challenge Plyler v. Doe at the Supreme Court level, the 43-year-old ruling that requires school districts to serve all students.
