Nashville council says Morgan Wallen not allowed to have sign over sidewalk outside bar
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Every single country music star that has a bar downtown gets their name in lights.
Whether it's Garth Brooks or Miranda Lambert, they have a big neon hanging sign outside their establishment, welcoming you in.
However, country singer Morgan Wallen will not be getting his name in lights outside his new Broadway bar as Metro Council members say his actions come with consequences.
The council members voted no Tuesday night to allowing Wallen's very own neon sign to go up outside his bar. Thirty members voted against the signage while only three members voted in favor of it.
This comes as the Wallen is accused of throwing a chair off Eric Church's downtown rooftop bar Chief's. The chair landed about three feet near Metro Police officers, and Wallen faces three counts of felony reckless endangerment and one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
Now, some Metro Council members are calling him a bad ambassador for the city of Nashville, saying this is why they do not want his name hanging outside the Broadway bar.
Metro Councilmembers Jordan Huffman went as far to say Wallen's actions and past comments should not be applauded.
He gives all of us a bad name," Councilmember Huffman said. "His comments are hateful, his actions are harmful and he don't belong in this town as far as I'm concerned. I'm tired of this city bending over to just make anybody happy that makes a comment that they want to. We continue to go down this road."
Councilwoman Antoinette Lee said Wallen showed "harmful actions" when he allegedly threw the chair from the six-story venue which is why she voted no on the bar's signage.
Another councilwoman said she voted no our of respect for Nashville.
I don’t know how we stand here and file resolutions that speak to inclusion and respect for other people,” Councilwoman Sherri Weiner said. "And out of respect for everyone in this room and for everybody in this city, I have to vote no.”
Councilmember Delishia Porterfield also voted no.
I don't want to see the name up of a person who's throwing chairs off of balconies and using racial slurs and the 'n' word, so I'm voting no," Porterfield said.
FOX 17 News asked Nashville attorney David Raybin to weigh in. He says there's an equal protection clause in the federal and state constitutions.
"I suggest that a court would rule pretty quickly that his business is being discriminated against and that he should have this sign," said Raybin. "It says that everybody is entitled to the equal protection of the law, which means that each of us has the right to be treated fairly but equally."
Wallen's venue "This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen" will still open during Memorial Day weekend, but will not have neon signage after council's vote. The new bar will be located at 107th 4th Ave. North.
As for Wallen's recent arrest, he is expected to appear in a Nashville court this August.
To watch the Metro Council meeting where the vote is discussed, see below: