Rick Staples (born March 12, 1970) is an American politician who served as a member of the

Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Constitutional requirements According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consis ...

from 2017 to 2020. A Democrat, he represented District 15, which includes parts of the city of Knoxville.

Early life and education

Staples attended

Holston High School Holston High School is a public secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary edu ...

in Knoxville, and the University of Tennessee. He is an account executive.

Career

Staples was elected in 2016, succeeding Joe Armstrong, who had been convicted of a felony for a false tax return the previous August, and was thus ineligible to run for reelection. Staples has served on multiple committees, including the Commerce Committee, Banking & Investments Subcommittee, Finance, Ways, & Means Committee, Finance, Ways, & Means Subcommittee, State Committee, Departments & Agencies Subcommittee, Joint Pensions and Insurance Committee. In April 2019, Rep. Rick Staples, D-Knoxville, was found guilty by the ethics subcommittee of engaging in sexual harassment after an unnamed woman said he "grabbed and held on to her waist while standing behind her after he had made inappropriate comments about her appearance” during a visit to the legislature.

Personal life

Staples is currently single, and has four children. He is a Baptist.

References

1970 births Politicians from Knoxville, Tennessee Democratic Party members of the Tennessee House of Representatives 21st-century American legislators Living people University of Tennessee alumni African-American state legislators in Tennessee 21st-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American politicians 21st-century Tennessee politicians {{Tennessee-politician-stub