Tennessee POST revokes certification of officer after hearing on undisclosed use of human growth hormone

The Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission voted on Feb. 21, 2025, to revoke the law‑enforcement certification of Jesse Calabaugh following a disciplinary hearing at the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy in Nashville.

The Department of Commerce and Insurance, which brought the petition, presented evidence and the testimony of Sergeant Toby Carter of the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Office of Professional Accountability. The department argued Calabaugh misled THP during pre‑employment screening and was later terminated for untruthfulness while employed by the Highway Patrol. Maribeth Nisley, associate general counsel for the Department of Commerce and Insurance, told the commission the department was asking that Calabaugh be decertified.

The commission’s administrative law judge, Stephanie Bergmeier, instructed members on their duties and on applicable law, saying, “You are the sole judges of the facts and will be applying the facts to the law in this case.” The commission heard opening statements, testimony from Sergeant Carter and then from Calabaugh, and received eight exhibits; portions of the record and several exhibits were…