
- One member filed a complaint against Joy Styles in October, alleging that Styles improperly allowed the member’s vehicle to be towed off the road.
- The Styles case is the first since 2011 to go to trial with no violations found.
Nashville’s Ethics and Conduct Committee determined that the city’s ethics code was not violated after reviewing accusations that city council members misused their power to tow voters’ cars.
The board confirmed that Joy Styles, a member of the 32nd District Council, had not violated any ethical standards after a January 4 hearing.
Styles district resident Nicole Weatherspoon filed an ethics complaint against Styles in October, claiming that a council member improperly authorized the company to tow a flat-tired Weatherspoon vehicle off a public road. claimed to have Nashville procedures for towing vehicles off public roads require a permit from the Nashville Police Department or Metro’s Code Division.
The person filing the complaint has the burden of proving that the complaint is valid and both parties may call witnesses.
The board considered two allegations at its Jan. 4 hearing — failure to follow procedure and abuse of power — and determined that Stiles did not violate the city’s ethics rules on either count. .
Prior to the hearing, the Commission dismissed two other allegations for lack of evidence: Improper Receipt of Money or Items Related to Public Service and Receipt of Facilitation or Improper Influence in the Performance of Official Business Due to Family Relationships. is.
Ethical complaints against City employees rarely go to public hearings. According to online case histories, the Ethical Conduct Board has reviewed 16 cases since 2011, including the Styles case. Ten of these lawsuits have been dismissed without a public hearing and three have been withdrawn. The Board found violations in a case involving former Mayor Megan Barry and First District Councilman Jonathan Hall.
Styles’ case went to hearings for the first time since 2011 as a result of no violations being found.