State Representative Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) was banned from attending two upcoming Memphis City Council meetings. According to a letter Memphis City Council Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington sent to Pearson, which The Tennessee Star obtained Friday, Pearson will be prohibited from attending the October 20 and November 10 meetings.
Citing the Memphis City Council rules posted online, the letter stated to Pearson, “any use of abusive, profane language, personal remarks to any member of the Council or the public, or any disorderly conduct that disrupts the meeting will not be tolerated,” and declared that it serves Pearson with “written notice that such behavior is prohibited and should not be engaged in during meetings of the Memphis City Council.”
In addition to the October and November dates, the letter, which also included Chief Administrative Officer Takeyshia Johnson, Memphis City Council Attorney Allan Wade, and Memphis City Council Chief Security Officer Cedric Young, told Pearson that he could be banned from future events if the behavior continues.
“As a result of your disruptive behavior, your attendance at Council Meetings is prohibited for the next two meeting dates (10/20 and 11/10),” the letter stated. “Further failure to adhere to the Rules of Decorum could result in banning your attendance at subsequent Council meetings.”
Activist LJ Abraham was reportedly banned from the October 8 and October 20 meetings before Pearson’s ban was confirmed.
While State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) said his opponent led the protest on Tuesday, Pearson maintained in his Thursday comments to the council that he was not disruptive and claimed he had not yet received the letter banning him from subsequent meetings.
“I have not received that,” said Pearson, regarding the letter obtained by The Star.
The Democrats’ nominee for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District told the council, “I did want to get some clarification, because it said that in the letters I’ve seen that I was being disruptive, or whoever gets the letter is being disruptive, but I was not being disruptive.”
It is unclear on what basis the Memphis City Council determined Pearson was disruptive. He previously spoke at events held by the Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP) activist group, which rallied protesters outside Memphis City Hall.
Pearson co-founded the organization, but his brother, KeShaun, now leads it.
In response to the letter confirming Pearson was banned from two meetings, Taylor described him as “Disruptin’ J. Pearson,” and wrote that the November election would be a choice for Tennessee’s newly redrawn 9th Congressional District to choose “Competence Over Chaos.”
Watch Pearson’s full remarks:
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected]. Photo “Memphis City Council Protest” by Justin Pearson.Â
