Image Credit: Rhonda Lee / LinkedIn & Google Earth
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
After initially being overlooked by the Knox County Commission Chair for the sake of “diversity,” conservative commissioner Rhonda Lee has now been appointed to the oversight board for the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center by a Knox County Juvenile Court Judge.
The center’s current superintendent is set to retire Aug. 1 amidst reports of abuse and mismanagement, spurring Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs’ call for the county to seize control of the facility and develop the plan to place the Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) in charge of the center for at least the next 18 months.
Along with preparations to turn the running of the juvenile center over to KCSO, the County Commission was responsible for appointing four of the five members for the new board of directors, with the fifth to be named by the county’s Juvenile Court.
Commissioner Rhonda Lee, who is also a criminal attorney, expressed interest in serving on the board but was snubbed by Commission Chair Gina Oster who stated she was aiming for a “diverse” board comprised of two Republicans and two Democrats despite the commission’s 8-3 Republican majority. She also supposedly bypassed typical commission procedure for board appointments by submitting four members of her choosing instead of accepting nominations from the commission.
Oster and Commissioner Larson Jay, one of Oster’s board picks, also falsely believed Lee’s service on the board would be a conflict of interest, despite being corrected by the commission’s deputy legal director, and both voted against Lee’s nomination even after the legal clarification.
But it would now seem Lee’s desire to use her skill sets in this arena will be put to good use as Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin named Lee as the fifth member of the board.
“I’m very excited about it,” Lee said of her appointment. “I’m the only person on the board that has any experience with criminal justice, so I think I will be a good addition, and look forward to serving to make sure that we transition that into the best thing for our juveniles and the detention center as we look forward to the sheriff taking it over shortly…This is not a partisan issue; it is a qualification issue. The Juvenile Detention is a valuable service to our county and our children, and it is of utmost importance it be done the right way.”
Some of Lee’s colleagues are displeased with the selection, claiming the board will now carry a political undertone instead of having a neutral representative from the court. Chair Oster said she was “surprised” by the selection while
County Commissioner Courtney Durrett stated, “I’m disappointed because the intent of the juvenile court judge appointment was for there to be someone on the board alongside the four commissioners who has regular juvenile court and/or juvenile service center experience and is not elected [in order] to keep politics out of it. Now there are five elected commissioners and no one with juvenile service center experience. That was the point, and now that point is lost.”
Mayor Jacobs will hire an interim superintendent for the facility until the KCSO assumes control on January 1, 2026, and the five members of the board will reportedly visit the center and meet later this month to discuss future plans.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
Good, I hope.