DATELINE: WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TN BREAKING NEWS — THEY DONE DID IT

Originally posted May 6, 2025

Since last week’s County Commission meeting where TISA’s flaws were finally aired in public, we’ve been laying it out in these columns—defining the problem, exposing the inequity, and asking what comes next.

We didn’t rush to action.

We didn’t scream lawsuit.

We pumped the brakes on purpose—because deep down, we knew this might end up in court. But not like this.

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THE LAWSUIT FILED MAY 3: READY OR NOT

On May 3, six local officials filed suit in Chancery Court against Tennessee Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds, alleging that the TISA formula violates the state constitution by placing an unfair financial burden on counties like Williamson.

Let’s name names:

1. Tony Bostic – School Board Member, District 1

2. Donna Clements – School Board Member, District 8

3. Margie Johnson – School Board Member, District 5

4. Mary Smith – County Commissioner, District 5

5. Barbara Sturgeon – County Commissioner, District 8

6. Drew Torres – County Commissioner, District 8

We’re not criticizing the intent. The cause is worthy.

But if there was going to be a lawsuit—it should’ve come after a formal ask to the legislature, not before.

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YOU SKIPPED STEP ONE, FOLKS

Where was the commission resolution?

Where was the unified voice from our county?

Where was the official request to the Tennessee Assembly or Governor Lee?

You don’t walk into court before you’ve walked the halls of power.

This wasn’t a last resort—it was a first impulse.

And instead of rallying support, bringing the public along, and building a slam-dunk case, six folks showed up to the birthday party, kicked in the door, and knocked over the cake on the mad scramble to the chairs.

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WE SAY THIS WITH LOVE: YOU’RE NOT LITIGATORS

We appreciate your passion.

We respect your concern.

But—and we say this gently—you’re not constitutional litigators.

And just so we’re clear, Williamson Wrong is not a law firm.

But John Q. Taxpayer can still smell when something’s out of order.

And what smells off is this: school board members, no matter how well-meaning, have no more legal standing here than any other citizen who pays county taxes.

This lawsuit should have been brought by the County Commission as a whole, acting in its fiscal capacity.

Instead, we got a partial posse.

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SHOTGUN POLITICS ISN’T STRATEGY

This wasn’t about timing.

It was about credit.

You weren’t elected to file lawsuits.

You were elected to build consensus.

But this is what happens when a handful of officials want to be seen “doing something” so badly, they skip the process, trip over their shoelaces, and bolt toward court shouting “Shotgun!”

Congratulations.

You’re first.

You’ll get your press hits.

You’ll get your headlines.

Now let’s hope you don’t get your case thrown out.

Because if this gets dismissed for lack of standing or dies on a technicality, you may have just handed the state a precedent they can hide behind—and made it even harder for the rest of us to fix this.

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FINAL VERDICT

The issue is real.

The urgency is valid.

The lawsuit may even be righteous.

But the rollout? The rollout was amateur hour.

You jumped ahead of the process, skipped the groundwork, and turned what should have been a coordinated civic push into a solo act with legal filings.

So yes—you done did it.

Now you’d better not blow it.