The Dump – April 18, 2025
Originally posted April 18, 2025
Sunshine for kids, subpoenas for emails, and sneakers for everyone—unless you're a parent, in which case, please report to concessions with your wallet, forms of ID and an apron.
Meanwhile, local political operatives are still trying to shove ballots into backrooms and call it "grassroots." We’ve got ethics complaints, hero kids, midnight shades, proxy votes, and a party that just can't stop eating itself.
Let’s dump it out.
BRENTWOOD ETHICS MATCH: DOUBLE FAULTS AND DUE PROCESS DELUXE
The city of Brentwood has finally found its moral breaking point: Reply All.
Commissioner Rhea Little is now the subject of a formal ethics investigation for the unspeakable act of… emailing his colleagues. And then asking IT to recall the message. That’s it. That’s the whole plot. The crime of the century is brought to you by Microsoft Outlook.
The complaint—filed by racquet facility co-chair and local drama enthusiast Rebecca Martinez—claims Little violated the Sunshine Law and used his power to “tamper with a public document.” In reality, he used the same email recall function available to all commissioners, which apparently now qualifies as Watergate with a subject line.
Little’s response? Calm, factual, and laced with just enough disbelief:
“I did not seek an exemption or privilege unavailable to all commissioners.”
He also asked the obvious: how did Martinez even get the email? (We assume a neighborhood gossip chain powered by passive aggression and Nextdoor threads.)
Timeline:
• October: Email sent.
• October: Little reports it himself.
• March: Complaint filed.
• April: Commission votes 4–2 to hire outside legal counsel to investigate a keyboard shortcut.
Because why waste a perfectly good scandal when you can burn taxpayer money on a digital reenactment of 12 Angry Men: The Gmail Edition?
The meeting itself was part ethics review, part reality show.
Residents packed the chamber wearing “Re-Elect Rhea Little” stickers, and the mood turned somewhere between jury duty and Jerry Springer.
Commissioner Anne Dunn nailed it:
“Is that your goal? To drag this entire city through the mud for a campaign?”
Even better? Martinez didn’t show. She sent someone else to read her complaint. That’s not civic duty—that’s performance art.
As a bonus subplot, the Governors Club POA fired off an ethics inquiry at Mayor Mark Gorman for cozy ties between his family business and subdivision contracts. No formal complaint yet—just a cease-and-desist and a $25,000 check labeled:
“GovernorsClubDepRefund 1Tradito.”
So either Gorman’s moonlighting as a Shakespeare villain, or autocorrect just achieved consciousness and chose chaos.
Quote of the Week:
“This is the first time an ethics complaint has been filed against me in sixteen years.”
– Rhea Little, probably wishing he'd chosen “REPLY NEVER."
SPORTS APPAREL STRIKES AGAIN: SIX-YEAR DEAL, ZERO VOTES, ALL ON THE PARENTS
Williamson County Schools has renewed its long-running contract with adidas, locking every high school varsity athlete into a six-year exclusive brand deal. The total spending? Up to $6 million—funded not by the district, not by taxpayers, but by parents through booster clubs and PTO accounts.
It surfaced during Thursday night’s WCS Board Planning Session. No board vote. No public input. Just a six-year contract dropped like a group text no one remembers sending.
Under the agreement:
• adidas gets guaranteed annual purchases
• Coaches and the District Athletic Director get free gear
• Athletes and families get the invoice
• All gear must be adidas—right down to the socks
• No performance clause, no exit clause, and it auto-renews unless canceled
The enforcer behind the Three Stripes mandate?
Darrin “I Wear My Sunglasses at Night” Joines, WCS District Athletic Director.
(Yes, there are multiple photos of Joines wearing sunglasses at night. Unless your name is Ronnie Milsap, take the shades off before the flash.)
Every sport is affected—lacrosse to tennis, cross-country to cheer. If your kid wears a uniform, you’re on the hook.
WW Bottom Line
Students show up to board meetings asking for more art teachers and better funding for theater—and they may be right. But while people debate where public dollars are going, no one’s talking about where parent dollars already are.
Athletics in WCS isn’t free.
It’s expensive, recurring, and increasingly exclusive.
When playing a sport costs hundreds just to step on the field—plus fundraising, concessions, and mandatory branded gear—it stops being public access and starts being pay-to-play.
If you want to wear the jersey, get ready to open the checkbook.
RECESSION AVERTED: Tennessee Lawmakers Vote for Sunshine, Sanity, and Muddy Kids
In a rare and beautiful break from legislative nonsense, the Tennessee General Assembly has passed a radical idea: let the children touch grass.
The Say YES to Recess bill (HB0085/SB0158) sailed through the House on Monday with a 95–0 vote—because even lawmakers know better than to cross a group of moms in matching shirts with data, determination, and absolutely no chill. The bill guarantees 40 minutes of daily recess for elementary students statewide and now heads to Governor Lee’s desk for signature.
Tennessee kids are officially getting their sunshine back—and not a moment too soon.
Credit for this win? The unstoppable Williamson County Recess Moms—a terrifyingly effective coalition of kindness, grit, and righteous mom energy.
Rachel Bush, Kathryn Truman, Morgan Garner, Ashley Potts, Tricia Reichter, Erin Grimmett, and Kimberly Calcote did what most lobbyists only fantasize about: they showed up, brought receipts, cornered legislators in the hallways, and didn’t leave until someone said yes.
Naturally, a few hand-wringers worried that 40 minutes of recess might “disrupt instructional time.” Translation: fewer hours of drilling bubbles on Scantron sheets, more time learning how to take turns and not lick the monkey bars.
But research—and also basic common sense—says otherwise: recess boosts focus, cuts classroom chaos, and makes kids better learners.
Let’s be honest: if your curriculum collapses under 40 minutes of sunshine, it wasn’t curriculum—it was a stress test with crayons. And the kids weren’t the problem. We were.
But not anymore.
This win belongs to the moms who wouldn’t back down.
This wasn’t politics. It wasn’t drama. It was recess. And that’s what made it so powerful.
The kids got their win. And so did we.
Muddy. Loud. Joyfully ungovernable.
The kids are gonna be just fine.
TICKING CLOCK EXTENDED: REP. MCCALMON DELIVERS JUSTICE WITH STYLE
Call it justice with a fresh haircut. Rep. Jake McCalmon (R-Franklin) didn’t just sponsor a bill this week—he sponsored the bill. And while the cameras caught him mid-pose, finger raised like he was ordering justice straight off the menu, House Bill 973 quietly made Tennessee a little safer and a lot more accountable.
The bill, which passed unanimously, extends the criminal statute of limitations for 24 specific child sex abuse offenses from 25 to 30 years after a victim turns 18. It also doubles the time frame for civil suits, allowing victims up to 30 years post-adulthood to take legal action. In plain English? The predators don’t get to run out the clock anymore.
“Sexual abuse of a child is a heinous crime and the evil people responsible must be held accountable.”
— Rep. McCalmon
It’s the kind of quote that reads like a gavel and lands like one too.
Even more rare? A bill this good actually passing—with zero political games and full chamber support. McCalmon credited his colleagues for backing it unanimously—but let’s be real: nobody wanted to be the one voting against justice for abuse victims.
The new timelines take effect July 1, 2025, pending Governor Bill Lee’s signature.
Thanks to Rep. McCalmon for stepping up and doing what too few do in politics: putting kids before party, photo ops, or political gain.
This one matters—and we noticed.
LEGEND IN THE MAKING: 7-YEAR-OLD JACOB PETERS HONORED FOR HEROIC 911 CALL
Jacob Peters is only seven, but he’s already setting the bar for bravery in Williamson County.
When his aunt collapsed during a seizure, Jacob stayed calm, unlocked her phone, and dialed 911—bringing first responders to the scene and likely saving her life. This week, the elementary student was honored by Franklin Police with a Citizen Commendation Certificate, becoming the youngest recipient in city history.
Chief Deb Faulkner called his actions “nothing short of heroic.”
We don’t throw around the word “legend” lightly, but Jacob? Certified.
He credits a Franklin firefighter for teaching him how to respond in an emergency. So here’s to great teachers, cool-headed kids, and one very lucky aunt.
FINAL FLUSH: THEY VOTE BY PROXY, YOU SIT IN A FOLDING CHAIR
In a bold move for transparency, members of the Tennessee Republican Party’s State Executive Committee (SEC) recently cast votes by proxy—while continuing to insist that Republican voters in local caucuses must be physically present, credentialed, and preferably blessed by three elders, a notary public, and an oath in pig Latin.
That’s right. You, the voter, must show up—likely in a Days Inn ballroom under flickering fluorescent lights—to hand in a handwritten ballot. Meanwhile, SEC members can email in their proxy vote from a lake house with a bourbon in one hand and no pants on, and still claim the moral high ground.
Apparently, “freedom of association” only applies to insiders with titles—not the rank-and-file Republicans actually trying to participate in their own party.
Lee Mills, the loudest defender of caucus purity and the staunchest opponent of HB 855, has yet to explain why his fellow SEC members enjoy proxy privileges while the grassroots are expected to play musical chairs with credentialing paperwork and a folding chair.
GRIFT IN THE TEMPLE: HUMBLE ENTERS, SNAKE IN HAND
Meanwhile, Gary Humble—fresh off a fire-and-brimstone livestream—has entered the chat, bringing with him a fundraising pitch so breathless it might as well have been scrawled on the back of a Gadsden flag with a feather quill from Colonial Williamsburg.
His organization, Tennessee Stands, blasted HB 855 as an unconstitutional assault on liberty, local control, and (presumably) the entire book of Deuteronomy. According to Humble, forcing local parties to use primaries is “a solution in search of a problem.” Which is rich, considering the entire Tennessee Stands brand is built on solving problems that only exist in its own emails.
And just to make sure the pitch landed, Humble published a list of all 52 House Republicans who voted for HB855, naming and shaming them like they committed treason for giving Republicans the right to vote in their own elections.
A hit list? Just beautiful.
Now comes the part where we hurt some feelings.
Maybe you love your SEC rep. Maybe your county commissioner is a “good guy.” Maybe they live down the street and wave while watering their zinnias.
But ask yourself:
• Do they support Tennessee Stands?
• Do they praise the SEC?
• Do they promote Elevate 2025 and now fall in line with the WCRP?
• Do they sit quietly while voters get cut out?
Nice is a handshake; principled is a backbone.
The company they keep matters. And if they’re standing next to the people pushing disenfranchisement, they’re not neutral—they’re complicit.
THE LOCAL CREW THAT WANTED TO CANCEL YOUR PRIMARY BALLOT
These weren’t just fringe voices. These were elected officials who ran in Republican primaries—and then tried to make sure you couldn’t.
Meet your Williamson County Commission Caucus Coalition:
• Barb Sturgeon
• Mary Smith
• Christopher Richards
• Lisa Lenox
• Bill (William) Petty
These five didn’t just support caucuses—they lobbied for them. Several showed up at the Capitol in person to oppose HB855. They aligned themselves with fringe groups trying to eliminate your vote in the name of “party integrity”—when what they really wanted was control.
And your State Executive Committee Voter Suppression Squad:
• Cyndi Miller
• Steve Allbrooks
• Chris Morris
• Angie McClanahan
All four were elected in a Republican primary—and all four signed the SEC resolution urging the legislature to block HB855 and preserve caucuses. That wasn’t symbolism. That was active lobbying against Republican voters. Against you.
They weren’t trying to save the party.
They were trying to save their seats.
This isn’t about liberty. It’s about leverage—about who gets to decide and who gets locked out.
So while Humble is collecting donations for his “grassroots” revival tour and Lee Mills is voting from the lake, your local leaders were trying to shut the door on your ballot.
They don’t fear Democrats; they fear Republicans with a ballot. And that terrifies them.
So yeah… We saw what you tried to do.
We’re not forgetting it.
And we’re keeping the list.
That’s it for this week.
Enjoy the long weekend. Hug your people. Touch some grass.
We’ll be back next Friday, fully caffeinated and ready to stir the pot.
– WW