Emily Tseffos is a Tennessee-based left-of-center political activist who serves as treasurer of Enough is Enough TN PAC, an organization advocating for the removal of Tennessee State Representative David Byrd (R-Waynesboro) over sexual assault accusations. ¹

On her LinkedIn Page, Tseffos calls herself a “community organizer” and says she has been affiliated with Enough is Enough TN PAC since the organization’s founding in September 2018. Prior to that, she was a middle school teacher at St. John the Evangelist Parish and School. ²

While her role with Enough is Enough TN PAC is listed as treasurer on the group’s website, she also regularly speaks on behalf of the PAC and is one of the only figures publicly associated with the group. ³ She took over as treasurer from former Tennessee State Representative Sherry Jones (D-Nashville). ⁴

Enough Is Enough TN PAC

In February 2019, Tseffos organized a silent protest of Representative Byrd at a hearing of the House Education Administration Subcommittee. She and the other protestors held signs reading “Resign Byrd” until being evicted from the hearing room by State Troopers. When Representative Byrd passed by her following the hearing, Tseffos shouted, “David, why did you apologize?” in reference to a recorded phone call between Byrd and one of his accusers in which he apologized for unspecified acts in his past. ⁵

In May of 2019, she filed a formal complaint on behalf of Enough as Enough against then-House Speaker Glen Casada accusing him of committing campaign finance violations in his support of Representative Byrd. The formal complaint charged that Speaker Casada had violated ethics laws by authorizing his political fundraising group to pay for Facebook ads supporting Representative Byrd without disclosing the group’s financial involvement in the campaign. ⁶

Tseffos told Tennessee radio station WPLN, “In a world where Speaker Casada continues to skirt the law, we really want him to be held accountable, because this kind of transparency matters.” ⁷

Speaker Casada called the accusations “frivolous” but later resigned as Speaker amidst that accusation and others. ⁸ Tseffos and Enough is Enough TN have since begun targeting Casada’s replacement, Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville), for not supporting the expulsion of Representative Byrd. ⁹

In April 2019, Tseffos and Enough Is Enough TN staged a sit-in at the Capitol office of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R), demanding that he issue a statement in favor of Byrd’s expulsion. Five of the protestors were arrested and charged with trespassing after refusing State Troopers’ requests that they leave. ¹⁰ Following the incident Tseffos said, “We’re asking people from all over Tennessee to join us.”

In addition to her work regarding Representative Byrd, Tseffos has called for the state of Tennessee to release the findings of its sexual harassment investigation into former state assistant commissioner Brock Hill. Hill was accused of unwelcomed verbal and physical conduct by four female employees of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, where Hill worked. ¹¹

1. “Byrd Must GO.” EnoughIsEnoughTN.com. Accessed October 4, 2019. https://www.enoughisenoughtn.com/
2. LinkedIn profile for Emeily Tseffos. Accessed October 6, 2019. https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-tseffos-39911099/
3. “Byrd Must GO.” EnoughIsEnoughTN.com. Accessed October 4, 2019. https://www.enoughisenoughtn.com/
4. Ebert, Joel. “New PAC targets Tennessee lawmakers facing sexual misconduct allegations. First up, Rep. David Byrd.” Sept. 27, 2018. Accessed October 7, 2019. https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2018/09/27/pac-targets-tennessee-lawmakers-facing-sexual-misconduct-allegations-first-up-rep-david-byrd/1442400002/
5. Baker, Jackson. “Byrd Protesters Ejected From Subcommittee Meeting.” February 26, 2019. Accessed October 6, 2019. https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pith-in-the-wind/article/21048900/byrd-protesters-ejected-from-subcommittee-meeting
6. Martínez-Beltrán, Sergio. “Complaint Claims Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada Violated Campaign Laws.” Nashville Public Radio. May 16, 2019. Accessed October 6, 2019. https://www.nashvillepublicradio.org/post/complaint-claims-tennessee-house-speaker-glen-casada-violated-campaign-laws#stream/0
7. Martínez-Beltrán, Sergio. “Complaint Claims Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada Violated Campaign Laws.” Nashville Public Radio. May 16, 2019. Accessed October 6, 2019. https://www.nashvillepublicradio.org/post/complaint-claims-tennessee-house-speaker-glen-casada-violated-campaign-laws#stream/0
8. Martínez-Beltrán, Sergio. “Complaint Claims Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada Violated Campaign Laws.” Nashville Public Radio. May 16, 2019. Accessed October 7, 2019. https://www.nashvillepublicradio.org/post/complaint-claims-tennessee-house-speaker-glen-casada-violated-campaign-laws#stream/0
9. Facebook post from Enough Is Enough TN. August 22, 2019. Accessed October 4, 2019. https://www.facebook.com/enoughisenoughtennessee/
10. Baker, Jackson. “Byrd Protesters Arrested at Capitol, but Aren’t Deterred.” The Nashville Scene. April 18, 2019. Accessed October 7, 2019. https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pith-in-the-wind/article/21065076/byrd-protesters-arrested-at-capitol-but-arent-deterred
11. Finley, Jeremy. “4 women claim verbal, physical harassment from former asst. commissioner.” NBC News 4. February 28, 2019. Accessed October 6, 2019. https://www.wsmv.com/news/women-claim-verbal-physical-harassment-from-former-asst-commissioner/article_36b9c4c0-3632-11e9-960e-fbf13c73e169.html