The former deputy executive director of the Metropolitan Human Relations Commission (MHRC) was indicted in November by a Davidson County Grand Jury for official misconduct, money laundering and theft of more than $60,000.
According to a Tennessee Comptroller’s Office report, Mark Scott Eatherly II — who in July resigned from MHRC, a department of the Metro Nashville and Davidson County government — “misappropriated at least $62,463.48 for his personal benefit.”
Eatherly was hired in 2013 and became the deputy executive director in 2022. He was placed on administrative leave in June of this year and resigned in July. During his time as deputy executive director, he oversaw MHRC purchases and employee reimbursement requests.
According to the indictment, Eatherly “initiated unauthorized payments” of $196,500 for the “Save the Morris” initiative, aimed at preserving the historic Morris Memorial Building, which was sold to a Nashville hotel developer in December 2023.
Mark Scott Eatherly II
The indictment states that Eatherly made three Metro payments of $101,500 to a private organization to establish a “donor fund,” followed by $67,500 from that account to a fund with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, and an additional $95,000 payment from MHRC to the Community Foundation.
According to the comptroller’s report, the funds were used to pay for event costs, performers, and public relations expenses related to the “Save the Morris” project, including $89,133.71 for a planned July 2023 concert at the Ryman Auditorium to be headlined by Grandmaster Flash. The event was canceled and never rescheduled.
He also allegedly “created and controlled, submitted ineligible reimbursement claims” and used public money to “pay for personal expenses such as cell phone and internet bills; food delivery and rideshare services; and expenses for trips across the United States and Europe.”
Part of the scheme, according to investigators, involved billing MHRC $36,250 under the guise of three fraudulent businesses that he created and controlled.
“This case demonstrates the importance of oversight, accountability, and separation of duties within government offices,” Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury Jason Mumpower said in a news release. “No single employee should have unchecked control over financial decisions and approvals, especially when taxpayer dollars are at stake.”
The complete comptroller’s report can be found online here.
