Lawsuit Claims MNPS Superintendent Adrienne Battle Fired Employees in Retaliation for Dismissal of Brother After On-Campus Fight

A federal lawsuit filed in 2022 against Metro Nashville claims that Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Battle retaliated against a former principal at Whites Creek High School, as well as two administrators, after they dismissed her brother, Carlton Battle, who allegedly “beat up” a parent after a basketball game.

Filed by former Dr. James Bailey, the former executive principal for Whites Creek High School, as well as former Associate Superintendents Dr. Pippa Meriwether and Dr. Damon Cathey, who allege that Adrienne Battle contacted them to persuade them against firing her brother after a physical altercation. Adrienne Battle was also an associate superintendent covering a different part of MNPS at the time.

According to the lawsuit, the fight happened after a February 16, 2018, basketball game, when Carlton Battle was approached by a parent who was upset his child did not play and began pounding on a locker room door with demands to speak with the coach.

“The Coach went outside to speak with the parent and got into a physical fight with the parent. The Coach’s best friend was also in the locker room and he also became involved in the altercation. Then, the students began taking sides and fighting each other,” the lawsuit alleges. “The Coach beat up the parent. After all this chaos, the Coach got in his car and left the premises.”

While the coach is not identified by name in the lawsuit, which instead describes him as a relative of Adrienne Battle, The Tennessean reported in February 2018 that Carlton Battle was placed on paid administrative leave for unknown reasons after the former coach was not present for a subsequent Whites Creek High School basketball game.

Despite the lawsuit revealing Bailey was informed by a staff member that Carlton Battle “had beat the parent up bad and that blood was all over the floor,” it claims that after the fight, Adrienne Battle contacted Merriwether, informing him of the incident and telling her colleague, “the parent had no right to walk up on the Coach and this is what he gets because the Coach had a right to defend himself.”

It further alleges, “Dr. Battle told Dr. Meriwether this as if what had taken place was okay,” and that the district administrator was given the impression that Adrienne Battle expected administrators “to squash the matter.”

Adrienne Battle (pictured above) allegedly contacted Meriwether a second time after Meriwether reported the incident to her boss, who chastised Adrienne Battle for inserting herself into the situation.

The lawsuit explains these repeated attempts by Adrienne Battle to communicate with Meriwether led to Cathey’s decision to intervene, attempting a “‘peer-to-peer’ discussion with Dr. Battle to explain his perception of the gravity and seriousness of the incident with the coach.”

According to the lawsuit, Adrienne Battle replied that the coach “has the right to protect himself,” telling her colleague that “no one is going to punk” her brother.

After Carlton Battle was placed on administrative leave, the lawsuit alleges Adrienne Battle “became distant and cold” toward both Meriwether and Bailey, with the former receiving “threats about his job” that led him to become “afraid for his safety.”

While the lawsuit revealed that Bailey determined Carlton Battle should not be rehired, citing the former coach’s lack of certification and tenure, Adrienne Battle would ascend to the top position in MNPS less than two years later. She was appointed Interim Director of Schools in April 2019, and the following year would be permanently appointed to the position.

After attaining the powerful position, according to the lawsuit, Adrienne Battle retaliated against those involved in the decision to dismiss Carlton Battle after more disagreements.

According to the lawsuit, Cathey received information indicating that a principal under their purview was falsifying its grades, which is a Class A felony in Tennessee. Despite this information being raised to Adrienne Battle, she declined to take action against the principal.

At another meeting, Adrienne Battle allegedly questioned Cathey about the loyalty of an MNPS principal who remained employed following the departure of a close relative.

Ultimately, the lawsuit reveals that Adrienne Battle terminated the plaintiffs within two months of attaining the top role in MNPS. The district rehired Meriwether and Cathey to lower-level positions, while Bailey was not rehired.

The case was initially dismissed, but a May 2023 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals reversed the decision, remanding the case back to a lower court for a jury trial that The Tennessee Star understands is scheduled to begin in July.

Adrienne Battle remains the superintendent of Nashville’s public schools, which recently adopted a controversial, $1.25 million contract to place artificial intelligence-based weapons detection systems in 18 high schools after the superintendent said traditional metal detectors have “limitations and unintended consequences.”

Read the full lawsuit:



– – –

Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Dr. Adrianne Battle” by Metro Nashville Public Schools.