Tatum disciplined by Court of the Judiciary

September 23, 2005
Though the details remain a secret, disciplinary action has been taken against Wilson County Juvenile Court Judge Barry Tatum in connection with highly controversial court orders he issued requiring Hispanic mothers to learn English in child custody cases.
Documents from the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary – which is charged with overseeing the conduct of the state's judges – show "disciplinary action" was taken but cites state law and the court's own rules in declining to reveal the exact nature of the action.
In an eight-page "explanation" to the court during its investigation, Tatum referred to "the unique language and cultural barriers in these two cases" and said an underlying factor in the controversy was "the atmosphere generated" by The Lebanon Democrat, which first revealed the rulings in January.
(Read the full version of this story in today's print edition of The Lebanon Democrat.)