Former Tullahoma Alderman Jenna Amacher got more bad news this week after a federal court rejected her lawsuit, which claimed she was the target of retaliation, filing suit against several local residents claiming her rights to free speech were infringed.

The suit centered on her not residing in the city limits of Tullahoma despite serving on the city board for four years. The question was brought up both publicly and in the court system. While a local court first sided with her when she revealed plans to build on the property she had listed, there were echoes in the community that something was not right. The appellate court agreed.

“Amacher persists that she always publicly maintained that she intended to move back within the City limits,” the decision read. “But she provides no good reason why the defendants had to take her word for it. In view of her evasive and dubious residency claims, she gave the citizens and public officials legitimate grounds for doubting her statements on the matter.” The rejection of her appeal in the lawsuit comes a short time after she was indicted on charges stemming from her residency.

According to District Attorney General Craig Northcott, Amacher submitted a petition to the Coffee County Elections Commission to qualify to run for Coffee County Clerk.

“In so doing, she asserted that she lived at that time and for at least the year prior at 1744 Ledford Mill Road, Tullahoma, Tennessee,” Northcott said. “She signed the documents under the penalty of perjury verifying this as her place of residence.”

Northcott said that in response to several citizen complaints, he initiated an investigation into Amacher’s actual residence.

“Based upon that investigation, it has been determined that there is not now nor has there ever been any inhabitable home on the property located at 1744 Ledford Mill Road, Tullahoma, Tennessee,” he said.

Additional investigation revealed that Amacher used 1744 Ledford Mill Road, Tullahoma, Tennessee as her address to register to vote and for her driver’s license. Further, Amacher voted in the May 2026 primary in Coffee County. In that process, she signed multiple documents under the penalty of perjury affirming that she resides at 1744 Ledford Mill Road, Tullahoma, Tennessee.

With the rejection of her suit, the defendants, including former City Administrator Jennifer Moody, former Mayor Ray Knowis, and citizens Scott Van Velsor and Jim Woodard, have been exonerated from the claims.

Meanwhile, a separate lawsuit filed by Amacher, this one against the Tullahoma Housing Authority, has been partly dismissed in regard to allegations of retaliation. In the case of the housing authority, Amacher alleges she was hired as Interim Executive Director of the Tullahoma Housing Authority, but then former Mayor Knowis conspired with THA commissioners to retaliate against her for the other (aforementioned) lawsuit she had filed.

“Plaintiff alleges that Knowis sent ‘messengers to entice [Plaintiff ] with promises of employment as Executive Director [of the THA] if she would drop her lawsuit against him and against the City,’” the suit claims.

Amacher says her 130-day contract was terminated 57 days in. As in the other case, she maintained a violation of her right to free speech.

While the city has been relieved of the lawsuit thanks to this week’s decision, Knowis remains in the suit individually.

Both the decision and the lawsuit can be viewed here: