Rutherford County School Board approves resolution to remove diversity goals in hiring and then changes its mind

Members of the Rutherford County School Board and Schools Director Dr. James Sullivan (center bottom) (Photo by Rutherford County Schools)

Members of the Rutherford County School Board took an unusual path to deny Board Member Caleb Tidwell’s resolution opposing educator diversity goals during hiring, by first approving it and then voting it down.

Board Member Caleb Tidwell (Photo by Rutherford County Schools)

Tidwell’s resolution would have called on the Tennessee General Assembly to delete state policy requirements for educator diversity goals, recruitment strategies, and statewide monitoring systems that prioritize demographic characteristics over qualifications and academic outcomes. It also would support the recently filed “Dismantle DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) Act that would provide similar changes to state hiring practices if lawmakers pass it this year.

Tidwell told board members at Thursday’s meeting that he filed his resolution because the district’s hiring practices are tied to state policies.

“Obviously we are for diversity, we have a very diverse body,” said Tidwell. “Hiring with a factor of race is discriminatory. That’s why I’ve ran this resolution. I think we should focus on merit.”

The board initially voted 4 to 3 to approve the resolution with the support of Board Members Katie Darby, Frances Rosales, and Tammy Sharp.

“I’m a huge fan of merit-based decision,” said Darby. “At the end of the day what’s best for our students is to have the best educator in the classroom, regardless of the color of their skin, their religion, their sexual orientation, it doesn’t matter.”

Following the vote, board members took a short break and then reversed course to reconsider the resolution, with Rosales changing her vote to help vote the resolution down  4 to 3.

“The resolution presented was under the pretense of bad hiring practices stemming from DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). Without context or facts, the board was asked to unite and urge legislators to remove the requirement for educator diversity. DEI has been tied to the expansion of sexual orientation and the "wokeness" of extreme progressive ideologies. As a result, fostering a diverse population in terms of race and ethnicity is now seen negatively,” said Rosales in a statement emailed to the Tennessee Firefly. “From a principled perspective, I believe in promoting a diverse population in the workplace, in line with the legacy of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This issue has been framed as if race is a bad thing, rather than understanding the need to advocate for and promote educator diversity as a solution to the teacher shortage of educators of color stemming from a state law passed in 2019. As a minority, agreeing to remove these requirements simply did not sit well with me.”

Board Member Butch Vaughn was among those to voice opposition to the resolution during the meeting, saying he felt it oversteps the authority of a school board.

“It’s caused division in the community and caused problems, and these are the things that, we don’t have a dog in this hunt.  I mean it’s a federal issue and a state issue and they’ve taken care of it and addressing it,” said Vaughn. “We’re elected to serve the students of Rutherford County Schools. 

Board Member Stan Vaught took a more personal approach to opposing the resolution. He questioned whether Tidwell might be better served to run for a different office.

“If you want to run for State Representative, if you want to go to Nashville to change policy, that’s fine. I’m all for you buddy. I’m all for you but passing this tonight sends the wrong message,” said Vaught. “The message you’re conveying is that if you’re not a middle-class white guy don’t apply. And I don’t think that’s the message that you’re trying to say but that’s how it’s coming out right now.”

Updated with quote from Vice Chair Rosales.