Dirty Politics in the Boro

[TripleDigitRide]

Deputy Cries 'Dirty Politics' - Nashville News Story - WSMV Nashville

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Rutherford County Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Arnold said the department where he's worked for eleven years is out to humiliate him because he's running against Sheriff Truman Jones.

"To me, it sounds like a bunch of dirty politics," Arnold said.

Arnold graduated from Oakland High School in 1995 with a diploma in specialized education. His department raised questions whether that type of diploma allows Arnold to legally run for sheriff.

Arnold said he can perform the job.

"I have dyslexia. I was born with it, like 40 million other people in this country. I can't spell good," Arnold said.

A sheriff's department spokesman, Dan Goodwin, said the department didn't notice what kind of diploma Arnold had when it hired him. Goodwin said the diploma issue was brought to the department’s attention about the time Arnold qualified for the election. Goodwin confirmed it asked the POST Commission to investigate. The POST Commission is the state agency that decides if candidates and police officers are qualified for their jobs. Jones is a board member.

Rick Womick, chairman of the Republican Party in Rutherford County, called the POST commission's investigation a last-ditch effort to keep Arnold off the ballot. Womick said someone from the sheriff's department came to him the night before the party's caucus and asked him not to allow Arnold to run.

Womick said the person brought samples of Arnold’s police reports, which contained a few spelling errors.

"They said he was an idiot and a moron and shouldn't be running for the office. It's despicable," Womick said.

Womick declined to name the sheriff's department employee on advice of his attorney.

As it turns out, the POST commission said yes, Arnold's diploma is valid, and he can run for sheriff, but now it's not clear if Arnold will even keep his job as a deputy.

Goodwin said the sheriff’s department will review its standards to see if Arnold should have been hired in the first place.

The department requires a high school diploma or GED, which Goodwin understands has different requirements than a specialized education diploma. Goodwin pointed to guidelines from the Tennessee Department of Education, which say, “the special education diploma will be awarded to students who have completed an individualized education program, but who have not met competency test or gateway examination standards.â€

Arnold was placed on leave with pay and has been told to report to a different position in the county workhouse Monday.

This guy has been doing a fine job for the last 11-years, and now they want to give him a hard time?

I know almost nothing about Rutherford County politics, but I sure do hope this guy wins the election.

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

I'll vote for him. Anyone who can go through and overcome what this man has DESERVES to be in that position. Maybe he'll have the honesty and gumption to him to tell some idiots to piss off and do some great things.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Some of the brightest people on this planet have dyslexia. That sounds like dumb politics.