An effort to oust Knox County School Board Chair Betsy Henderson is underway but it might not amount to a recall on voters’ ballots.
Phillip Sherman, a resident of Henderson’s Karns and Hardin Valley district who ran against her in 2022 as an independent, is leading the effort.
Henderson in a text to Knox News called the recall effort a political stunt “being pushed by the man who ran against me.”
“I ran on the issue of school choice,” Henderson said. ” I even published an opinion editorial in the Knoxville News Sentinel on the issue. I have been 100% transparent about my position since day 1 – which is shared by President Trump, Senator Blackburn, Governor Lee and Mayor Jacobs.”
Sherman disagreed with Henderson’s advocacy for vouchers at the General Assembly in January, but wasn’t inspired to attempt to remove her until he saw her response to criticism of her appearance before the legislature, he told Knox News.
“Even if this doesn’t result in her vacating the seat, at some point, you ran for office, you work for us, and a lot of people aren’t happy,” Sherman said. “They have the right to express that. The only legal mechanism to do that is a recall.”
The final straw for Sherman was when County Commissioner Terry Hill, a former school board chair and fellow Republican, criticized Henderson during the March 6 board meeting. Hill, a constituent of Henderson’s, then attempted to shake Henderson’s hand, but the current board chair turned away from her predecessor.
The problem for Sherman and those supportive of his effort is that the county charter doesn’t specify whether special elections can be called for recalls. State law, which supersedes county law, only discusses recalls on regular general election ballots.
Even if Sherman can collect the high number of signatures he would need to trigger a recall vote, state law might get in the way.
Chris Davis, the Knox County elections administrator, told Knox News March 17 state election officials told him special elections aren’t held for recalls. And state law specifies placing a recall on general election ballots, not special election ballots.
The next regular Knox County election is in 2026, which is when Henderson’s school board seat would be up for election anyway. Henderson has hinted that she’ll run for Knox County mayor, leaving the school board seat open.
Sherman said he’s focused on submitting a recall petition that has the signatures it needs to at least “raise the question” of whether a special election could be called.
“The only way to test (whether a recall can go on the ballot) is to put it forward and see where it goes,” Sherman said. “Recalls aren’t very common. This is not like a ‘change.org kind of movement.’ We’re going to go door to door. This is what you do in a democracy, someone just has to get behind it and push.”
Knox County’s charter and state law lay out how the process of recalling an elected official works.
If Sherman could get enough signatures, and if the state allowed a special election to be held and and if voters chose to remove Henderson from office, the Knox County Commission would appoint someone to serve out the rest of her term. Then in 2026, the school board seat would appear on voters’ ballots as usual.
Sherman told Knox News around 300 Sixth District residents have indicated on a survey they would sign a recall petition. After the Knox County Schools spring break, he hopes to start hosting events at which people can sign a petition.
He said he hopes to have 3,464 signatures, to equal the amount of votes Henderson received, by the next school board meeting on April 10.
“I would love to see (the petition submitted to the election commission) by the end of the spring semester,” Sherman said. “Then it would be a topic for discussion at the next school year.”
Henderson spoke Jan. 28 to legislators in Nashville in support of dramatically expanding private school vouchers. Just days before her speech, the Republican-majority Knox County School Board voted against including vouchers in its 2025 legislative priorities.
Henderson’s advocacy sparked criticism from her constituents, including Hill. Hill took the rare step of publicly rebuking another public official, telling Henderson it was a “gross misuse of a position of power” to push for vouchers in Nashville.
“The real issue with the appearance was that she spoke for the board, and the board did not pass the resolution,” Hill told Knox News. “When your own colleagues elect you as a chair of an elected sitting body, that’s one of the highest esteemed positions you can have. It needs to be treated with care.”
Hill then took her criticism a step further, calling for ethics reforms at the school board’s March 6 meeting.
“Whenever your vote is with the minority on a particular issue, support your board and share responsibility for that decision,” Hill said at the school board meeting. “I know what it is when you carry a personal belief about something and the board does not support you. Regardless, it’s still your responsibility to remember that you are elected to this board for the views of your constituents.”
Following the meeting, Hill shook other school board members’ hands, but Henderson turned away. Henderson in a statement to Knox News called Hill’s comments “a sad attempt at political theater by a politician desperate for headlines.”
“Perhaps Commissioner Hill should spend more time focusing on cutting wasteful government spending and dealing with the county debt instead of attacking someone who dares to speak up for education freedom for Knox County families,” Henderson wrote.
Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.
