Metro’s Ethical Conduct Board unanimously confirmed that Councilmember Joy Styles violated the city ethics code, then unanimously voted against any punishment, during a procedurally complex meeting on Monday. Styles’ ethics saga stems from a complaint filed by John Griswold, a disgruntled real estate agent who was rebuffed by Styles when seeking her support for a property rezoning.
Styles filed financial disclosures past the required deadline and did not report a property tied to her mother — both oversights that board members unanimously agreed were technical violations of Metro code. That vote, however, prompted four specific follow-up options: recommend the council censure Styles, recommend Styles resign, refer the matter to District Attorney Glenn Funk, or refer the matter to Metro Legal. The board judged these options too severe and declined to pursue any of them. In a short hearing, Styles effectively argued that Griswold’s complaint was retaliatory and her bookkeeping errors were made in good faith. Including Styles, 16 councilmembers filed a financial disclosure late in 2024.
Ethics Board throws out most of a complaint against councilmember, but has questions about an undisclosed property
“I find that there’s a violation, but I don't like what our options are for sanctions,” said board member John Spragens four hours into the meeting, eliciting agreement from colleagues.
Members, many of whom hold law degrees, discussed a legally compliant outcome that was not overly punitive for Styles. They repeatedly consulted Metro Legal’s representative for help navigating a way to, in the words of another board member, “dispose of the matter.”
Board member Tinika Young compared Styles' case, in which the law compelled the board to act on a technical violation, with a previous case brought by Lydia Yousief — in which the board agreed on “troubling conduct” that didn’t constitute an ethics violation — as evidence of a flawed ethics system.
"I can't imagine that Nashville taxpayers expect their board of ethical conduct to be constrained in this way," Young told colleagues hours into the meeting. “I just want to say that I think it's absurd."
Young later brought up that the real estate interest wasn’t generating income for Styles, nor was it in Styles’ district, calling Griswold’s complaint an “abuse of the process.”
As members probed for a satisfying outcome, Metro Legal advised that the body simply proceed in good faith. The body held several failed votes on follow-up options, which included sanctioning Styles and recommending her resignation, effectively ending the monthslong saga brought by Griswold.
