Resigned Tennessee veterans commissioner accused of 'abusive' conduct and racist, homophobic remarks

The commissioner of Tennessee's veterans affairs department subjected employees to abusive behavior and made racist and homophobic remarks during her tenure, state human resources found after investigating the complaints.

Courtney Rogers, appointed by Gov. Bill Lee in January 2019 to serve as head of the Department of Veterans Services, is alleged to have subjected current and former department employees to "abusive conduct and discrimination since early 2019," according to a memo summarizing an investigation conducted by state HR officials.

Rogers and Deputy Commissioner Tilman Goins, who was also the subject of an HR investigation, both resigned the week of Thanksgiving, Lee's office confirmed on Monday. The governor's office had not previously announced their departures.

RELATED:Veterans Services Commissioner Courtney Rogers, deputy Tilman Goins resign from Tennessee department

Both are former Republican state House members who entered office in 2012 and declined to seek reelection in 2018, among several ex-legislators hired by Lee after taking office.

Goins was found to have engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate at the department, according to the HR summary.

"The governor is aware of the investigations and he accepted their resignations," Lee spokesman Gillum Ferguson said in response to questions about the findings of the HR probe.

Rogers did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

While Lee's office said the two resigned, Goins' attorney Jesse Harbison said her client had been wrongfully terminated.

"Mr. Goins has provided dedicated service to the State of Tennessee for many years and he vehemently disagrees with the information in the investigation report related to his employment," Harbison said in a statement Monday evening. "Mr. Goins was unlawfully terminated and is seeking legal recourse for that unlawful termination. When all the facts are known, I am confident that Mr. Goins will be fully vindicated in this matter."

Harbison said that "at this time" Goins had no comment on the allegations against Rogers.

Rogers, 61, is accused of having used a racial slur during a phone call with department leadership this summer. She told HR officials she did not use the word in reference to a particular person, but "recalled being very incensed ... following 'all that Mr. Floyd stuff,'" according to the summary.

HR officials corroborated with others that Rogers did use the slur during the phone call but the report did not specify exactly what word she used.

While visiting a military installation, Rogers made racist comments that were heard by multiple people.

"Statements from a witness corroborated that (Rogers) referred to a race of people as prostitutes who slept their way into the United States," the report states.

Rogers did not deny making the comments when she spoke to HR investigators, but rather said she did not recall in what context she would have made them, according to the report.

On another occasion, during mediation involving the department, Rogers reportedly said the other party in the mediation was “another black guy looking for a free ride," but denied having said so, according to the report.

Rogers told investigators she may have referred to the person in question as “someone sticking it to the man.”

She is also accused of making unspecified "homophobic stereotypes and slurs," the report stated.

According to state HR officials, numerous employees reported that Rogers subjected two employees in particular to abusive behavior, including persistent criticism in front of subordinates and public degradation "in an unreasonably harsh tone."

Rogers reportedly admitted to losing her temper and raising her voice.

According to the report, an employee reported that Rogers while in the car with the employee and another person, yelled, "I’m sick of your stupid mouth! I’m going to quit and tell the Governor it’s all your fault!”

A witness corroborated the employee's account.

Rogers made $161,904 a year.

Deputy commissioner investigated for inappropriate relationships

In a summary file of the investigation into Goins, state HR officials report that Goins was accused of having inappropriate romantic relationships with two subordinate employees in the department. In one case, however, both Goins and the employee in question denied being involved with each other, despite others reporting conduct that "gave at least the appearance of an inappropriate relationship."

In the other case, both Goins and the employee acknowledged the relationship, though the other employee said Goins first made advances while the employee was his subordinate, and that the advances were initially unwelcome.

The Department of Human Resources found that regardless of who initiated, Goins "did not appropriately handle the situation or halt any further romantic or sexual conduct or comments."

While the employee involved in that relationship accused Goins of harassment, officials could not substantiate that allegation.

Goins' salary was $129,996

Rogers served in state House before joining Lee administration

Rogers while in the Tennessee House at times was known to make bizarre comments, including apparently referring to college students as "meat."

Discussing a 2016 bill she co-sponsored to pull funding from the University of Tennessee's diversity office, Rogers began to talk about her ideal version of "diversity offices that are recruiting the best, from light meat to dark meat, across the entire spectrum."

She called herself  "an endangered species – a Hawaiian in Tennessee."

During a September 2016 special session, Rogers was one of two lawmakers to vote against the expulsion of former Rep. Jeremy Durham, while Goins was among roughly a dozen who declined to vote on the matter.

Earlier in that year, an attorney general’s report detailed allegations against Durham that included having inappropriate sexual conduct with at least 22 women during his time in office. The expulsion measure passed.

Rogers is the third member of Lee's Cabinet to resign in roughly the last month, including one other amid allegations of misconduct.

RELATED:Before resignation, state commissioner faced accusations of sexually harassing employee on work trip

MORE:Tennessee human services commissioner Danielle Barnes departing state agency

Hodgen Mainda, who served as Lee's commissioner for the Department of Commerce and Insurance, resigned in late October following a human resources investigation into allegations that he made unwanted sexual advances on an employee earlier in the year.

Danielle Barnes, who was commissioner of the Department of Human Services, resigned around the same time after finding a new job in the private sector. She was not accused of any type of misconduct.

Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.

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