A Nashville community group has filed an ethics complaint alleging that Mayor Megan Barry’s extramarital affair with the then-head of her security detail unduly influenced her criminal justice policy.
News outlets report Community Oversight Now said in its complaint filed Wednesday that Barry’s relationship with Sgt. Robert Forrest led her to protect the interests of Metro Nashville police over those of the community.
The complaint specifically cited Barry’s response to the February 2017 fatal police shooting of Jocques Clemmons, an unarmed black man, as well as her resistance to a citizen-led police review board.
Barry spokesman Sean Braisted says the mayor’s policy positions are based on staff and community input.
The ethics complaint has prompted a city investigation, the third probe launched since Barry disclosed the affair last week.
