Annual Jefferson Muzzle ‘awards’ take aim at Bradley County Sheriff

By SARAH RANKIN
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – A Tennessee sheriff accused of deleting atheists’ comments on a county Facebook page and a school chief who dismissed a teacher who stepped on the American flag in class are among the 2017 winners of the Jefferson Muzzles – satiric awards bestowed annually by a free-speech group.

The Charlottesville, Virginia-based Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression announced Thursday the eight winners of its 25th edition of the Muzzles. They’re a dubious honor for those deemed particularly egregious offenders of free expression.

The winners will receive T-shirts bearing an image of Jefferson, the nation’s third president and an ardent free-speech advocate – with a black rectangle over his face.

The center’s director, Josh Wheeler, said it’s important to honor less well-known offenses, adding, “such acts occur every day.”

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One of the 9 Muzzle awards this year goes to Bradley County Sheriff Eric Watson.

He was sued by an atheist resident who was angry that his comments were deleted from the Sheriff’s official Facebook page questioning whether he should be promoting Christian beliefs. The county settled the law suit.

See the 9 Muzzle award cases here, including Sheriff Watson.