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Rutherford County will be investigating a TikTok video that appears to show two court clerks with altered faces making fun of people with criminal charges, Mayor Joe Carr announced.
“Recently, there was a TikTok video released apparently showing Rutherford County employees engaged in inappropriate behavior while on the job,” the Republican county mayor said in a statement Monday he texted to The Daily News Journal. “We take inappropriate conduct like this very seriously and as a result we are investigating the matter.”
The two people on the video appear to be acting as if they’re asking for when their court date is.
“We did the drugs together,” one of them said on the video while the sounds of laughter can be heard. “She was prostituting while I was street walking. It ain’t the same thing.”
The mocking video is a contrast from the county’s efforts from the mayor and others to expand recovery courts that offer alternative sentencing for nonviolent offenders with addiction and mental health issues. This includes Drug Court presided over by Circuit Court Judge James “Jimmy” Turner. The recovery courts allow offenders to serve their sentences out of jail while keeping their jobs, passing random drug tests, and completing counseling and courses designed to help them live as sober and sane law-abiding citizens.
The video faced criticism on social media from many people, including Joe Liggett, the administrator of the Facebook group page, Rutherford County Politics.
Liggett questioned why employees with elected Rutherford County Circuit Court Clerk Melissa Harrell’s office would be making a video while at work and possibly on the the clock that makes fun of people with criminal charges, low economic class and addiction.
“This is not the behavior we taxpayers of Rutherford County expect from our employees,” Liggett wrote in his post. “This was uploaded to TikTok for the world to see.”
Messages were left with Harrell Monday afternoon, but she was unavailable for comment.
Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ScottBroden. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Investigation to examine TikTok video that mocks people facing charges
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