Bristol Tennessee Board of Education members on July 30 approved hiring an outside employment attorney to investigate allegations filed by Tara Musick with the city auditor. The board voted 3-0 during a called meeting to retain Betsy Beck of the Knoxville law firm Kramer Rayson and asked the attorney to report back with any findings and recommendations.

The motion, made by Debbie Darnell, secretary of the Bristol Tennessee Board of Education, said the hire was "upon the recommendation of counsel" and requested an experienced, unbiased employment attorney. Board member Jim Butcher seconded the motion. Voting for the motion were Butcher, Board Chair Eric Cuddy and Darnell; Jennifer Henson and Charlie Taylor were absent.

Board Chair Eric Cuddy called the 9 a.m. meeting to order, established a quorum and welcomed visitors. Penny Jenkins led the Pledge of Allegiance. There were no public comments during the meeting.

The motion directs the immediate hiring of Betsy Beck of Kramer Rayson to investigate "Tara Musick's recent allegations to the city's auditor concerning Bristol City Schools agents/employees," and to report back to the Board of Education with findings and recommendations, as stated in the motion. The motion text also notes the action was recommended by counsel; the counsel who made the recommendation was not named in the minutes.

The called meeting lasted about three minutes; it opened at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 9:03 a.m. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2025, at 6 p.m. The motion does not specify a timeline for completion of the investigation beyond the instruction to report back to the board.