Legislation to guarantee teen victims of sexual assault the right to a forensic rape exam without parental consent failed in the Tennessee Legislature last week, despite drawing strong bipartisan support.
The legislation was brought as a technical fix to the 2024 “Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act,” which established a parent’s right to “make all physical and mental healthcare decisions for the child and consent to all physical and mental health care on the child’s behalf.” The act was among a series of laws brought in response to COVID vaccine requirements.
But forensic rape exams, which include collecting evidence for law enforcement and providing medical care and support to victims, were not explicitly made an exception to the 2024 parental consent law, which adds hefty penalties for healthcare providers who fail to comply: parents have the right to sue doctors and nurses who fail to get their consent, and healthcare providers may face professional discipline, including the loss of their licenses.
As a result, some sexual assault centers in Tennessee are interpreting the law as tying their hands in serving teens without a parent’s permission and have turned young victims away to avoid legal repercussions, victim advocates in Tennessee said this week.
“We have ended up with programs across the state interpreting this law differently,” said Jennifer Escue, CEO of the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence. At least one sexual assault center in East Tennessee has told her it has been unable to serve teen victims on the advice of its attorneys, she said.
“The consequences of this are potentially devastating,” Escue said. “It takes so much courage, so much bravery, to seek out an exam. To be denied that…they could very well decide they don’t want to go through with reporting the crime. It denies an opportunity for collecting evidence, and it might be that someone who is sexually assaulting a minor goes free.”
Most teenagers do inform their parents, Escue said. But others may feel reluctant or afraid.
Teens are far more likely to have been victimized by someone inside their home or within their family circle, including a parent. A 2024 Tennessee law allowing the death penalty for child rape convictions may add to the reluctance by even nonoffending adults to consent to a teen’s rape exam if the perpetrator is known to them, she noted.
The Sexual Assault Center in Nashville continues to provide forensic exams to teens 14 and older, a practice it has opted not to change with the passage of the 2024 law, said Rachel Freeman, president of the Sexual Assault Center in Nashville.
“We’ve had legal counsel saying they can interpret this either way,” she said. “We’ve decided it’s worth the risk, and the right thing to do is provide exams to minors who need them.”
“This is time sensitive,” Freeman said. “It cannot be done after 96 hours. That’s a very short period of time to try and convince, let’s say a mother, to try and get a rape kit.”
The bill by Sen. Heidi Campbell and Rep. Bob Freeman, both Nashville Democrats, would have explicitly ensured that the “consent of a parent or guardian is not required for the victim to receive a forensic medical examination” for minors who are victims of sex crimes.
The measure easily sailed through legislative committees and received a rare unanimous vote on the House floor.
Then it stalled on the Senate floor last week after Sen. Adam Lowe, a Republican from Calhoun, raised the spectre of children as young as his elementary school-aged daughter undergoing a rape exam over allegations that did not involve a parent as perpetrator.
“Someone could take my daughter for an examination without notifying me,” Lowe said. “That would be a very potent and traumatizing experience.”
Sen. Brent Taylor, a Memphis Republican who previously voted in favor of the bill in committee, then moved to send the bill back for further committee debate, citing “serious concerns” raised by Lowe and effectively killing the measure for the year.
Victim advocates said Lowe’s concerns are based on a misunderstanding of systems in place to address child rape and sexual abuse.
Rep. Bob Freeman, a Nashville Democrat. (Photo: John Partpilo/Tennessee Lookout)
The Sexual Assault Center in Nashville does not provide rape exams to elementary-school-aged children. The agency serves victims starting at age 16, Freeman said.
Child sex abuse victims 13 and younger are typically referred to Child Advocacy Centers and undergo a separate pediatric forensic process, Law enforcement and the Department of Children’s Services are notified.
“The reality is a five year old is not going to get a medical legal rape kit,” Freeman said.
Like all sexual assault centers, Freeman’s agency is a mandatory reporter of child abuse: the assault on any victim under the age of 18 who visits the center is reported to the Department of Children’s Services and law enforcement, which, in turn, contact non-offending parents.
“They certainly pull in parents when that happens,” Freeman said. “The reality is that the people who need to know will end up knowing.
Freeman worries that teens in Tennessee will be discouraged from seeking out help after being sexually assaulted but stressed that sexual assault centers will help them.
A statewide crisis line can direct teens and other victims to available services and resources. The Tennessee Statewide Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 to provide support and information to sexual assault survivors: 866-811-7473.
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Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
This content highlights concerns about restrictive parental consent laws impacting teen victims of sexual assault, emphasizing the potential harm and legal challenges these laws pose to vulnerable individuals seeking forensic exams. It presents advocacy perspectives supporting victims’ rights and critiques opposition stemming from parental control arguments, which commonly align with more progressive stances on youth autonomy in healthcare. However, it maintains a balanced tone by including viewpoints from Republican lawmakers and outlining their concerns, avoiding overt partisan language or extreme framing.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 12:15:00
(The Center Square) – Democrats and Republicans from three states are supporting a 287-mile trail that would include Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina.
The lawmakers are asking for a feasibility study on the Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail. U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., said Wednesday the trail deserves a national scenic designation.
“The Benton MacKaye Trail is an invaluable part of my district in East Tennessee that thousands of Tennesseans and Americans hike each year, and the trail connects some of the most beautiful and pristine parts of Tennessee with Georgia and North Carolina,” Fleischmann said.
The trail that winds through the Southern Appalachian Mountains was completed in 2005, according to Bob Cowdrick, president of the Benton MacKaye Trail Association, which has supported its development since 1980, according to the bill.
“This study would help protect our storied outdoor heritage for future generations, support local economies, and provide a wide array of recreation opportunities for everyone from day hikers to thru-hikers and solo trekkers to families,” Cowdrick said.
The trail’s path is made up of 95% of federal land. It passes through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Chattahoochee-Oconee, Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests. It begins at North Georgia’s Springer Mountain and ends at North Carolina’s Mount Sterling, according to the Benton MacKaye Trail Association.
The bill is cosponsored in the House by Democrats Steve Cohen of Tennessee and Lucy McBath of Georgia. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., is also a cosponsor. Republican North Carolina Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are cosponsoring it in the Senate with Rep. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. The bill is currently in the House Natural Resources Committee.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article reports on bipartisan support for a feasibility study on the Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail, without advocating for a particular ideological stance. The language used is factual and neutral, primarily focusing on the collaboration between Democrats and Republicans from three states. The article does not show a clear bias in favor of one political party or the other. It simply highlights the specifics of the bill, its sponsors, and the potential benefits of the trail, such as supporting local economies and outdoor recreation. Therefore, it adheres to neutral, factual reporting without promoting a specific viewpoint.
The trio charged in a Tennessee political corruption case shared text messages in early 2020 complaining about the state’s failure to pay a mysterious vendor for work on lawmakers’ constituent mailers, at one point cursing the administrator in charge of handling invoices.
One text message from former Rep. Robin Smith of Hixson to ex-Speaker of the House Glen Casada said, “Connie’s a bi—.” Casada responded, “Agreed!”
Smith, who pleaded guilty in the fraud and kickback case and is cooperating with federal prosecutors, was referring to now-retired Legislative Administration Director Connie Ridley, who handled payments for the state’s postage and printing program for lawmakers. Ridley held up payments because of problems with W-9 tax forms by the vendor, Phoenix Solutions, which was run by former legislative aide Cade Cothren, and Casada, testimony showed.
Smith testified she was “highly frustrated” because Ridley approved work without having the federal tax documents on hand. Eventually, Cothren sent the state a W-9 signed as “Matthew Phoenix,” one of the key documents prosecutors are using in the case to show deception by Smith, Casada and Cothren to direct business to Phoenix Solutions without state officials or lawmakers knowing who was behind the company.
Casada and Cothren had stepped down from their posts at different points in 2019 because of a racist and sexist texting scandal. Casada remained in the General Assembly but not as House speaker.
Connie Ridley, former director of legislative administration, shown leaving Nashville’s federal courthouse on April 25, 2025. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
Another text displayed for the jury Tuesday showed the state had paid for work on a lawmaker’s constituent mailer but didn’t include taxes.
Smith and Cothren sent each other “incredulous” text messages and Smith added another one saying, “Quite the bullsh–.”
Smith, former chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, met with Ridley to speed up payments in February 2020 when the state owed Phoenix Solutions $34,000 for work on several Republican lawmakers’ constituent mailers, including now-former Rep. Patsy Hazlewood of Signal Mountain, Rep. Dan Howell of Cleveland, Rep. Esther Helton-Haynes of East Ridge, Rep. Dennis Powers of Jacksboro, Rep. Susan Lynn of Mt. Juliet, Rep. Bud Hulsey of Bristol, Rep. Chris Hurt of Halls, Rep. Andrew Farmer of Sevierville and Smith and Casada.
Ridley testified earlier this week she didn’t find out Phoenix Solutions was run by Cothren until May 2020 when federal authorities told her to continue processing the New Mexico-based company’s invoices.
Earlier Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson ruled that prosecutors can present evidence showing the trio wanted to expand from constituent mailers, which are paid for with tax money, to House Republican Caucus work. Defense attorneys argued that the prosecutors should be limited to evidence about the postage and printing program because it is outlined in the indictment, not an effort to tap into caucus funds.
Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The content highlights a political corruption case involving Republican lawmakers in Tennessee, presenting factual details about legal proceedings, text communications, and testimonies. While it exposes misconduct within a specific party, the reporting style remains largely neutral and focused on the facts without overt editorializing or broad partisan critique. This aligns with a center-right bias, as it scrutinizes members of a right-leaning party but in a relatively balanced and fact-based manner typical of moderate conservative or center-right news coverage.
SUMMARY: Tyrone Ferguson of Sweetwater was falsely accused of shooting a man during a 2022 road rage incident on I75. Despite clear evidence, including medical records and bullet holes indicating Ferguson did not shoot anyone, he was charged with aggravated assault and jailed. Ferguson claims the accusations were racially motivated and that the actual victim shot himself accidentally. Marijuana and paraphernalia found in the accusers’ vehicle were not pursued by authorities. After a mistrial in 2023 due to undisclosed evidence, the new district attorney dismissed Ferguson’s case in December 2024, clearing his name after nearly three years of legal struggle.
After three years, Tyrome Ferguson said his name has been cleared after being wrongfully accused of shooting during a road rage incident.
