Franklin Rep. Jeremy Durham All But Banished From Legislative Office Until Investigation Concludes

Franklin Rep. Jeremy Durham is being exiled from the state legislature’s offices and told to limit his interactions with staff.

The moves were recommended by the state’s top lawyer, who says his investigation into Durham has turned up evidence of a pattern of inappropriate behavior.

The recommendations were included in
an update released Thursday by Attorney General Herbert Slatery. He says his office has interviewed 34 people so far — enough to suggest interim measures should be taken to prevent future misconduct.

Witnesses said Durham frequently obtained women’s personal contact information, tried to meet them alone in interactions involving alcohol, and sometimes made sexual comments or engaged in inappropriate contact.

The attorney general stops short of concluding this amounted to sexual harassment. But he says until the investigation is finished, Durham should lose his office in the War Memorial Building and be assigned space in the Rachel Jackson Building across the street from other legislators.

Slatery adds that Durham should only be allowed to have contact with his assistant, and his visits to the legislative complex should be limited to floor sessions, committee meetings and other official business.

House Speaker Beth Harwell signed off on the recommendations, which took effect immediately.

“I feel compelled to take proactive steps to protect all parties concerned until the conclusion of the investigation,” she said in a press statement.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Mary Mancini said the move is insufficient.

“They need to do something a little bit more serious about this, to protect the women up here,” she said, “although I’m not surprised because they haven’t done anything for months. They just swept it under the rug.”

Mancini called Durham’s banishment little more than a timeout.

House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada said the allegations against Durham were serious, adding members were waiting “for the attorney general to conclude his investigation and take appropriate action.”

Meanwhile, Durham’s legislative office was closed Thursday afternoon. In an interview with The Tennessean, Durham attorney Bill Harbison called it ”
surprising and unfair” that the attorney general would release a report without giving Durham a chance to respond beforehand to the accusations.