A sergeant in the National Guard filed suit against the Tennessee Departments of Safety and Human Resources on Tuesday, alleging that state officials failed to give him — and potentially hundreds of other applicants seeking jobs in state government — veteran preferences in hiring.
Jefferson County resident Kelly Hance has served as a non-commissioned officer and active member of the Tennessee Army National Guard since 1996, specializing in petroleum supply, combat engineering and military honor funeral detail.
Between August 2016 and March of this year, Hance applied six separate times for a job as a Tennessee state trooper. His 35-page petition details that his initial applications were found to meet minimum requirements for the position, but he was never offered a job. Hance repeatedly raised questions about whether the agency was giving weight to his military service in its hiring decisions — and received mixed answers in return, according to the lawsuit.
In instances outlined in the petition, Hance was told he could not receive a veterans preference because he couldn’t produce military papers showing he is an honorably discharged veteran. Hance has not been discharged from the National Guard. And under state and federal law, active duty National Guard members qualify as veterans in hiring decisions.
Under a 2012 state law, veterans and their...
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