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Blount County School Board votes to replace longtime board attorney, hires Lewis Thomason firm
Summary
The Blount County School Board voted to replace longtime board attorney Rob Goddard after more than two decades and retained the Lewis Thomason firm with attorney Chris McCarty to serve as board counsel; both motions passed by roll call.
The Blount County School Board voted to replace longtime board attorney Rob Goddard and to retain the Lewis Thomason law firm, appointing attorney Chris McCarty as the district’s new legal representative.
Board leadership said Mr. Goddard served the district “very well” for what the chair described as “well over two decades,” but urged a move to increase the district’s education-law expertise. After a motion to replace Mr. Goddard and a separate motion to retain Lewis Thomason and Chris McCarty, the board approved both measures by roll-call votes.
Director Ridge and the chair told the board they had met with Mr. Goddard and thanked him for his years of service; the chair said the district will continue to work with him and his firm on some ongoing legal matters. Members noted that McCarty has worked as a teacher, earned a law degree and teaches education law at the University of Tennessee, and that the Lewis Thomason firm represents multiple Tennessee districts.
The board recorded roll-call votes in favor of both actions. The motions carried and the new representation will take the next steps to assume counsel responsibilities for education-law matters.
The board did not specify an effective date for the change or which specific matters Mr. Goddard will continue to handle; staff said some existing legal work will continue to involve his firm.
