TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Feb 19, 2024

State Rep. Caleb Hemmer, D-Nashville, is seeking a legal opinion from Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti as to whether state Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds meets the statutory requirements to hold the job. The Tennessee Journal reports that Hemmer wrote to Skrmetti saying that Reynolds does not possess a teacher license, which he argues is required by law. Gov. Bill Lee’s office says a teaching degree is not “explicitly required” by the statute. Lee previously told reporters that a “full vetting process” occurred at the time Reynolds was hired and determined she met the qualifications.