Tag: Belmont University

Family of Woman Shot Near Belmont Campus Sues University, Nashville, and Tennessee for ‘Negligence and Recklessness’

Tom Pappert
Jillian Ludwig

The parents of Jillian Ludwig filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Belmont University, the State of Tennessee, and Metro Nashville after the 18-year-old student was fatally shot near the university’s Nashville campus last year.

Ludwig was allegedly shot by Shaquille Taylor, who police say fired a weapon at public housing near Belmont after he was previously released from jail on unrelated firearm charges. Authorities deemed Taylor mentally incompetent, with doctors claiming he has the mental capacity of a small child. Taylor’s former coworker disputed this claim.

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Music Spotlight: Emmy Moyen

Bethany Bowman

When independent artist Emmy Moyen contacted me, I was unfamiliar with the name, but I was intrigued when I heard her music. She had just the right balance of sweetness and sass, and I wanted to learn more.

Moyen was born in Kentucky but raised in Starkville, Mississippi. Many from her Kentucky family have a background in bluegrass music, which has always been a part of her life.

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Latest Bush Admin Official to Endorse Harris is Former A.G. Alberto Gonzales, Now Dean of Belmont Law, Who Resigned After Democrats Demanded Perjury Inquiry

Tom Pappert
Alberto Gonzales

Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Thursday endorsed the presidential bid of Vice President Kamala Harris, making the current Belmont University College of Law Dean the latest Bush administration official to back the Democrat over former President Donald Trump.

In his endorsement, published by German-owned Politico, Gonzales noted he is “the only lawyer in American history to serve both as White House counsel and as attorney general,” but did not note that he resigned from the latter position as prominent Democrats demanded he face a perjury inquiry due to his claims before Congress.

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Former Belmont University Student Body President Says University is Not Salvageable

Kaitlin Housler
Belmont University

Chairman of the Tennessee Young Republicans and former Belmont University study body President Stevie Giorno recently joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss his experience at Belmont University during and after the time he served as the school’s student body president.

Giorno, who was bullied and called a “racist” for posting a pro-American social media message on Instagram on July 4, 2020, said the university used the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to bar him, the student body president at the time, from holding regular meetings.

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Stevie Giorno Discusses Plot to Oust Him from Belmont University’s Student Government Association Presidency Nearly Four Years Ago

Kaitlin Housler
Stevie Giorno

Chairman of the Tennessee Young Republicans and former Belmont University study body President Stevie Giorno recently joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss how students at Belmont University bullied him during the time he served as the school’s student body president.

While serving as Belmont University’s student body president in 2020, Giorno acknowledged the Fourth of July holiday with a post on Instagram that read, “Proud to be an American, celebrating the sacrifice of those that gave their all so that we may have freedoms and liberties intended for us on this day in 1776.”

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FACT CHECK of Tennessee House Speaker Sexton Claim that Alleged Killer of Belmont Freshman Would Have Been in Custody Had State Senate Acted: FALSE

Michael Patrick Leahy

In an in-depth interview on Friday, WTN SuperTalk 99.7 afternoon host Matt Murphy spoke with Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton about the shooting and death of Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig. The Tennessee Star conducted a FACT CHECK of Speaker Sexton’s claim in that interview that Shaquille Taylor, the alleged killer of 18-year-old Belmont University Jillian Ludwig, who was shot in the head on Tuesday and died on Thursday, would have been in custody if the Tennessee State Senate had passed legislation in the August Special Session that the House had passed. The Star determined that Sexton’s claim is FALSE. The transcript of that interview and the corresponding FACT CHECKS conducted by The Star can be seen below. ——————- Matt Murphy: So, obviously, we’ve been covering this very difficult story involving the passing of a Belmont University student by the name of Lillian, or Jillian, pardon me, Jillian Ludwig, who died Thursday, yesterday morning after being shot in the head while walking near campus Tuesday. EDITOR’S NOTE: Prior to allegedly shooting Belmont University freshman Jillian Taylor in the head on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, Shaquille Taylor was deemed incompetent to stand trial for aggravated assault with a deadly…

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Second Bystander Shot in Nashville Hours After Death of Belmont University Student

Tom Pappert

A Nashville man remains hospitalized after he was shot following an apparent fight to which he was not a party, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department. The shooting occurred less than one hour after the death of Belmont University freshman Jillian Ludwig, another innocent bystander who was allegedly shot in the head by Shaquille Taylor on November 7.

Police initially described the victim as man in his 50s who was shot after a fight between two men ended in gunfire in North Nashville, according to WSMV. Police Spokesman Don Aaron told The Tennessee Star the victim is expected to survive, and will be interviewed to ascertain the circumstances that led to the shooting after he recovers.

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Belmont University Freshman Not Expected to Survive After Being Struck by Stray Bullet in Nashville

Peter D'Abrosca

A Belmont University freshman who was shot in the head in Nashville Tuesday afternoon is not expected to survive, according to multiple reports.

“An 18-year-old female Belmont [University] student from NJ was very critically wounded by a gunshot [Tuesday] afternoon while walking on the track in Edgehill Community Memorial Gardens Park,” the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) said on Twitter Tuesday. “The gunfire came from public housing across the street. Investigation active.”

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Music Spotlight: Laine Lonero

Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee- Laine Lonero is from Louisiana, where she studied opera and musical theater as a child. No one in her immediate family sings at all. The classically trained artist started lessons at age six and where she learned the basics of how to sing properly.

She said, “At that age, I wasn’t sure if I was going to do this full-time, but my parents wanted to make sure that I did it right.” She continued, “I think that lessons are important for any singer, no matter how old you are or good you think you are, it’s always good to have lessons under your belt.” 

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Tennessee College Students Hold Protests Over Loosening COVID Regulations

Morgan Nicole Veysey
Girl with blonde hair and glasses, wearing a blue mask

Tennessee college students and some staff members gathered last week to protest their school’s loosening COVID regulations. Belmont students gathered last Thursday, and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) students and staff gathered Saturday before the school’s football game. 

At MTSU, FoxNews 17 reported that labor union workers, staff, and students gathered in front of the Floyd Stadium to encourage the use of masks again on campus. One professor, Elyce Helford, said in an interview with Fox that “faculty are not allowed, now that there’s no mask mandate, for example, to put their class online instead. If their class has been in a classroom, they have to continue teaching it.”

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Music Spotlight: Bridget Caldwell

Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Singer-songwriter Bridget Caldwell does not come from a musical family. They loved music, but did not play or create music.  Her mother had “exquisite” taste in music and would play anything from Bonnie Raitt and Hank Williams to Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald.

Caldwell said she has always been a loud, boisterous kid and in third grade when she was cast as Snow White in the school play, her love for musical theater began. One day she started singing, her teacher ran down the hall to get her mother who was a special needs teacher, and said, “You have to come to hear this.”

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Belmont University Will Continue ‘Test Optional’ Admissions Criteria

Corinne Murdock

Belmont University announced that it would continue its test-optional admissions policy for the 2021-2022 admissions. Students will no longer be required to submit ACT or SAT scores for either admissions or scholarship eligibility. This, in addition to the continued acceptance of pass/fail grades.

Their admissions team determined that the COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges for students applying to the university. The university issued the update earlier this week, shortly after announcing that its new president would be Dr. Gregory L. Jones. Belmont Associate Provost and Dean of Enrollment Service Dr. Chris Gage explained that they’d decided to shift their priority focus onto student qualities and backgrounds rather than traditional testing standards for admissions.

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Belmont University Announces New President: Duke Divinity Dean Dr. Greg Jones

Corinne Murdock

Belmont University has officially selected its new president: Dr. L. Gregory Jones, the previous dean of Duke Divinity School. The university’s current president, Dr. Bob Fisher, is expected to retire in May. Fisher will have served for about 21 years.

Jones will be assuming control over a fast-growing university that faced several pandemic-shaped bumps. These included a slight increase in student tuition costs and the staggered distance and in-person learning modules. 

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Belmont University Professor Criticized Rocketown for Allowing Conservative Event Featuring John Rich and Tomi Lahren

Corinne Murdock

Prior to Turning Point USA Nashville’s Debate Watch Party on Thursday, Belmont University’s College of Theology Assistant Professor David Dark criticized Rocketown for allowing conservatives to speak there.

In a Facebook post, Dark asked his peers to persuade Rocketown to “rethink the decision to host an event like this.”

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Sean Feucht Proves Critics Wrong, Points Out Not a Single Attendee of Nashville Worship Rally Contracted COVID-19

Jason M. Reynolds

Christian evangelist and worship leader Sean Feucht said that Metro Nashville Mayor John Cooper could not trace a single coronavirus case to his Let Us Worship prayer rally on October 11.

Feucht on Thursday posted on his public Facebook page, “Nashville Mayors Office today confirms ZERO new cases tracked to our #LetUsWorship. (and they looked real hard too). Someone tell the squad at @rollingstone @cnn @abcnews @nbcnews @cbsnews PLS.”

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Turning Point USA Hosts Debate Watch Party with Speakers Including John Rich, Tomi Lahren, and Dr. Carol Swain

Corinne Murdock

Ahead of the third and final presidential, Turning Point USA of Nashville hosted a debate watch party downtown. Speakers included country star John Rich, “Final Thoughts” political commentator Tomi Lahren, First Liberty Institute President and CEO Kelly Shackelford, Students For Trump co-founder Ryan Fournier, pro-life advocate Victoria Robinson, world-renowned eye surgeon and public speaker Dr. Ming Wang, and famed conservative public intellectual Dr. Carol Swain. 
The idea for the event came about three to four weeks ago, according to Turning Point USA Belmont President Jeffrey Seraphine. Ahead of the debate, Seraphine told The Tennessee Star that the speakers volunteered their time when asked.

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‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Protestors Appear Ahead of Third and Final Presidential Debate

Corinne Murdock

In the hours preceding dawn, five women dressed in long red cloaks and white bonnets gathered on a street corner by Belmont University. These “Handmaid’s Tale” protestors held up a spray-painted bedsheet: “PRO-LIFE IS A LIE. TRUMP LET 222K DIE.” One woman held a plastic coat hanger.
Handmaid’s Tale protestors were inspired by the book and subsequent television series of the same name. In the fictitious world of the series, women trapped in reproductive slavery wear red cloaks and white bonnets. In our world, Handmaid’s Tale protestors commonly appear to protest pro-life bills and “oppressive” legislators. 

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Belmont University Condemns Sunday Worship Protest, Cites COVID Safety Concerns – Never Addresses Protests

Corinne Murdock

Belmont University sent out an email to students condemning Sunday’s worship protest and asking students to self-report if they attended. The university cited concern over the “city’s ability to manage the spread of this virus.”

“Regardless of your personal views about COVID-related restrictions on religious worship, events like this severely challenge our city’s ability to manage the spread of this virus,” read the email. “If you are a Belmont student and you did attend this event without wearing a mask and maintaining proper distance from others, please contact Health Services so they can evaluate your potential exposure and determine if a period of quarantine or being tested is necessary.”

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Belmont University Says It Will Be ‘100 Percent’ Ready to Host Final U.S. Presidential Debate

Zachery Schmidt

The University of Belmont announced Monday that it will be “100 percent” prepared to host the last U.S. presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden, Fox 17 reported.

“Twelve months ago, Belmont was selected to host the third and final presidential debate of 2020. With less than three weeks to go, we are fully committed to working with the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) and our health advisors on final preparations and will continue to follow their lead and guidance,” Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher said, according to Fox 17.

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Professor Who Lectured Brentwood High Students: ‘I Never Said That The Students Were Closed Minded And I Spoke About Privilege in a General Sense’

Chris Butler

  The Belmont University professor who lectured Brentwood High students on Monday about privilege said in an email exchange on Tuesday that she believed The Tennessee Star story about that event portrayed her unfairly. As reported, Professor Mona Ivey-Soto introduced herself to students at Brentwood High on Monday as someone who is “very passionate about public education and what it means to transform the world.” “I pray there is a level of discomfort you might feel [because of what I say]. Why am I feeling uncomfortable and why is this pushing my buttons a certain way and what do I need to do to lean into that?” Soto told students. She also said she sees public schools as an instrument of social change. On Tuesday The Star offered Soto the opportunity to provide a complete response to our story published on Monday. In addition, we posed several follow up questions to her. Soto responded to some of our questions, and declined to respond to several others. Specifically, we asked her to clarify whether we misquoted her words. We also asked her to provide more specifics about an incident at Williamson County where she alleged that Vacation Bible School students chanted…

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Belmont Professor Lectures Brentwood High Students About Privilege and Social Change

Chris Butler

A Belmont University professor who specializes in social justice causes lectured Brentwood High School students Monday about how privileged and closed-minded they are and said it’s time they corrected themselves.

Brentwood High Principal Kevin Keidel invited that professor, Mona Ivey Soto, to speak.

A Brentwood High parent who said he disapproved of Soto’s lecture provided The Tennessee Star with an audio recording of her lecture.

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Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin Joins Governor Bill Lee for Criminal Justice Reform Symposium in Nashville

Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – A symposium on criminal justice reform held in Nashville featured an hour-long conversation between Governors Bill Lee of Tennessee and Matt Bevin of Kentucky. The symposium was held in the “appellate courtroom” at the Randall and Sadie Baskin Center of the College of Law, located on the beautiful campus of Belmont University in downtown Nashville. While the event was free, seating was limited, so advanced registration through EventBrite was required. Still, the venue ended up standing room only. Hosts of the symposium were Men of Valor and Right on Crime. Men of Valor offers in-prison ministry in the form of a voluntary program to participants who have applied and been selected based on having the time to complete the full six-month program and exhibiting a sincere desire to change. Programs emphasize the participants’ need for restoration with God, family, community and society, according to the organization’s website. Additionally, Men of Valor offers aftercare and re-entry care and services to men released from prison, to help in overcoming the tremendous obstacles they face with regard to housing and even the most basic of other needs such as food, clothing, transportation, identification and employment. Governor Lee, who spoke of…

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Community Mourns Nashville Musician Allegedly Slain by 5 Youths in Robbery

Jason M. Reynolds

A memorial service was held Monday at Belmont University to honor alumnus Kyle Yorlets, a musician who was shot and killed during a robbery allegedly committed by five youths, one of them as young as 12. Yorlets, 24, allegedly was shot on Thursday, Feb. 7 by two boys and three girls after he refused to give them the keys to his car, NewsChannel 5 said. Yorlets was in the band Carverton. They posted a tribute on Twitter that said in part, “On February 7, 2019 we lost our brother, best friend, and bandmate Kyle Yorlets. We are in a state of shock and are having to grasp the reality that is now in front of us. We are heartbroken. Our condolences for his family and loved ones and all the lives that he touched. We will never forget Kyle, and though he is gone too soon his legacy is here to stay.” https://twitter.com/CarvertonBand/status/1093899923299405825 At the memorial service, people remembered Yorlets as someone full of wit and talent and who cared about people, Billboard said. The publication also reported: Michael Wiebell is the bassist for Yorlets’ band, Carverton. He said in an interview before the memorial that since Yorlets’ death, they…

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Nashville’s University Presidents Criticize Trump For DACA Decision

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Nashville’s private liberal arts universities weighed in on President Trump’s DACA decision this week, saying ending the program is a mistake. In sentimental, emotional statements, the presidents of Vanderbilt, Belmont, Lipscomb and Trevecca described ending DACA as an offense to the values of their universities. They’re not the only ones reacting negatively. Several hundred protesters condemned Trump during a march Tuesday along West End Avenue organized by immigration activists. However, conservative Tennessee politicians and others are praising Trump or are offering more nuanced reactions. The Trump administration announced Tuesday morning that it would begin winding down the program in March unless Congress acts. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has allowed young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children to obtain temporary permission to live and work in the U.S. if they meet certain criteria. Many are now young adults. There are nearly 800,000 DACA recipients nationwide and more than 8,300 in Tennessee. DACA was started by former President Obama with an executive order, which critics said was an unconstitutional overreach of his authority. Trump made a campaign promise to end DACA but as president had sent mixed signals before his administration announced early Tuesday that it would effectively…

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Trump Nominates Belmont Law Professor To Be U.S. Attorney For Middle Tennessee

Wendy Wilson

  President Trump has nominated a Belmont University law professor to serve as U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Donald Cochran, who teaches criminal law and trial advocacy, previously taught at Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama, according to a White House press release. From 1998 to 2002, he was an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Alabama. In that role, he prosecuted white collar crimes, public corruption and violent crimes. His cases included that of the final defendant charged with the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. The bombing of the African-American church by white supremacists played a role in the civil rights movement. Cochran began his career as a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office in Birmingham, where he prosecuted homicides, sexual assaults and other violent crimes. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Law School, Cochran was an Army Ranger and Special Forces officer for nine years before studying law.  

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LGBT Group At Belmont University Upset By Campus Event Promoting Biblical Sexual Ethics

Wendy Wilson

  Members of an LGBT group at Belmont University were upset recently with a documentary shown on campus that promoted biblical sexual ethics, an event also criticized by the university provost. The documentary and a discussion that followed on April 6 were sponsored by University Catholic, another group at the Christian liberal arts college in Nashville. Called “Desire of the Everlasting Hills,”  the film relates the story of three people with same-sex attraction who used to be part of the LGBT world but now practice chastity because of their Christian faith. One member of Bridge Builders, the campus LGBT group, told the student newspaper Belmont Vision, that Belmont “has been very accepting as of late” but that this event made Belmont “look really bad.”Another said, “We were just appalled by the documentary.” Both told the student newspaper that they are Catholics themselves. Several students were also upset with comments made following the film by psychologist Stephen Hopkins who described circumstances in a child’s upbringing that could contribute to same-sex attraction and said homosexual relationships are inherently more unstable than heterosexual ones. Members of the LGBT group were angered that university leaders allowed the film to be shown without first consulting with LGBT…

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