County seal alteration vote delayed again

The hearing for the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the upper-left quadrant of Williamson County’s seal has been delayed to the Tennessee Historical Commission’s regularly scheduled April meeting.

An administrative law judge granted a motion for continuance that was jointly filed by Williamson County and the Major Nathaniel Cheairs Camp 2138 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

According to the commission, the motion states “that the request is based on the fact that the parties have been involved in extensive good-faith negotiations to resolve the matter via settlement. They also state that additional time is needed to finalize the details of the settlement in an orderly manner.”

The hearing has been delayed three times after the Williamson County Board of Commissioners voted to move forward with the alteration process about a year ago.

The first delay came at the request of Williamson County’s attorney due to a medical procedure in June, and the second delay was requested by the Sons of Confederate Veterans Major Nathaniel Cheairs Camp 2138.

The group petitioned to intervene before the historical commission and claimed it needed more time for discovery before the commission’s October meeting due its attorney receiving a planned medical procedure.

The petition identifies the Nathaniel Cheairs Camp as a “Historic Organization,” defined under TENN. CODE ANN.§ 4-1-412 as an “entity that has as one (1) or more of its material missions as the recognition or preservation of any historic conflict, historic entity, historic event, or historic figure.”

According to the county attorney, the Confederate flag in the upper-left quadrant of the seal is considered a public “memorial” that requires state approval for alteration.

The county commission voted 16-7 to request that the Tennessee Historical Commission alter the seal after a nine-member task force was created to determine whether or not there was “substantial need” for alterations. The task force unanimously recommended that the Confederate battle flag be removed from the seal for a number of reasons, including the flag’s history of being used by white supremacist groups, “contemporary view” of the flag based on public input, the flag’s potential impact on tourism and its potential impact on local business.

The task force argued that Mississippi faced challenges recruiting and growing businesses due to its state flag featuring a Confederate battle flag from 1894 to 2020, and thus Williamson County could be similarly penalized.

“Local businesses should be able to rely on the county to create an atmosphere that continues to attract the most competitive talent in Williamson County and Middle Tennessee,” the report read. “In working to create the kind of community where a talented workforce wants to live and work, it is important to ensure that anything that suggests that a community is not welcoming or inclusive is addressed.”

Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans argued that Williamson County has seen unprecedented economic growth even with the Confederate battle flag on the seal.

“I don’t think there is an economic impact,” said Edward Phillips, counsel for the Sons of Confederate Veterans Nathaniel Cheairs Camp. “Williamson County is one of the wealthiest counties in the nation. … Has a seal that has a quadrant in it that displays a Confederate battle flag … stopped anybody from moving here yet?

“[My comments are] not a personal attack on their belief that there is potential economic harm. There is potential, and I don’t disagree with them, but it’s a potential that, I think, is difficult to prove.”

The county seal didn’t stop companies like Mars Petcare, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors USA from setting up shop in Williamson County recently, however, all three companies and 13 other businesses signed a letter to the county supporting the flag’s removal from the seal.

“Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment is a top priority for our businesses,” the letter read. “For many, the Confederate flag represents the exact opposite as a symbol of racial prejudice and inequality, and it has no place as an official government insignia that is intended to represent all.”

Phillips claims that the Confederate battle flag as presented on the seal is a representation of Williamson County’s history.

“Whether it’s a Confederate battle flag, whether it’s a Confederate memorial, whether it’s a Union memorial, etcetera, it reminds us our past and what we did,” he said.

If the state historical commission votes to alter the county seal, the county will then vote on a final design at a later date.