Tennessee State Museum

01 — How It Started

The longtime head of the Tennessee State Museum was scheduled to retire ... and then the search to replace her stalled out. I wrote a long feature about what was and wasn't happening.

My reporting prompted a push to launch the search.

The head then announced she would finally step down at the end of the year.

But that was just the beginning ...

02 — Where the Reporting Went

"Museum commission chair: Stop emailing each other!"

As my reporting continued, certain people tried to stop it.

"Riggins-Ezzell to work for Foundation"

Meanwhile, the museum's Foundation decided to hire the retiring head.

"Was museum director’s secret raise illegal?"

It turned out the head had been given a raise in secret, possibly illegally, months earlier.

"Nepotism at the state museum?"

But the raise wasn't the only unethical thing happening when it came to hiring.

"Museum commission punts director decision"

The drama continued, as the commission struggled over appointing an interim director.

"Museum Pieces"

Appointed amid controversy, the interim museum director fired two employees, who alleged retaliation.

"Frist deputy director tapped to lead state museum"

Eventually the board hired a new director for the museum.

03 — What Happened

Despite the new hire, the fallout from my reporting continued throughout 2017.

Everyone calmed down and started playing nice again. In late 2018, the new museum finally opened and has become a beloved addition to Nashville attractions.