County Attorney Rheubin Taylor was hired in 1993 to serve Hamilton County’s legal needs. His knowledge of Tennessee municipal law is unsurpassed in our region. I believe Taylor was the first or second person of color to serve as a county attorney in the state of Tennessee.
Yes, that matters—climbing mountains counts.
When Attorney Taylor was appointed in 1993 by County Executive Dalton Roberts, there were only 8,698 Black law students in 173 ABA-approved law schools across the entire nation, according to multiple sources. For Taylor to rise to the level of county attorney in 1993 was simply amazing. Of course, so was Dalton Roberts.
After an estimated 32 years of dedicated service, it is simply unjust for Taylor to be treated with open political disdain. During the previous County Commission meeting, a commissioner reiterated the same records preservation request over and over. The request sounded more like an accusation—that Taylor would remove files needed for seamless county operations.
We can expect fabrications of recordkeeping debacles within the County Attorney’s Office to be forthcoming after Taylor exits his position of 32 years. This would be consistent with the well-publicized situation involving the mayor.
What a sad way to end 32 years of faithful service.
The removal of Attorney Taylor was cited as “generational” by a member of the Commission. Of course, “generational” is a sugar-coated explanation for why Attorney Taylor was relieved of his position.
Upon being sworn in, the mayor entered the County Attorney’s Office seeking forced retirement—citing Taylor’s age and years of service as the basis for the request. The mayor has created legal liability by using age and years of service as justification for Attorney Taylor’s removal.
Employers cannot hire or fire employees based on age, race, gender, or religion. This is well established.
I have lost track of the published costs in taxpayer-funded legal fees that began when the mayor hired a Knoxville attorney. This is how casually government treats public dollars—where forcing political will turns into costly litigation. The total costs were easily around $200,000 for the three sides represented.
Clearly, the path forward will be much brighter for Attorney Taylor, free of the hostile work environment he has endured in recent years. Even for a seasoned attorney, it would be stressful to have political hacks circling like vultures.
Thank you, Rheubin Taylor, for your 32 years of service to Hamilton County. It’s not that I always agreed with your decisions, but I have always respected you.
April Eidson