NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Friends of Dr. Katherine Koonce are speaking out about the recent expulsions of state lawmakers. A close friend and former colleague of the late Covenant School director said the focus has drifted off the tragedy.

“I feel that in light of the six people that died in Nashville, for their only substantive action to be about anything around this incident was to kick out two legislators, it was absolutely awful,” said Jim Lee.

Lee is a former coworker and good friend of the late Dr. Koonce. He said he’s mad, upset, and confused at the actions that were taken at the State Capitol on Thursday, April 6.

“This is when you’re actually going to do something; you’re not going to bring up any type of legislation whatsoever, or at least say I’m open to talking. Just nothing but silence, but as soon as three courageous people pick up a bullhorn, then you did something, and I think that was pathetic,” Lee said.

What makes him so frustrated is that state lawmakers chose to respond to gun violence at The Covenant School by expelling two Tennessee representatives.

“It seems like with gun violence, the only thing that we can agree on is to do absolutely nothing, which I think is pathetic,” Lee said.

Lee feels all of these efforts have quickly taken away the focus on the most important issue at hand, which is the tragedy and lives lost at Covenant.

“It’s very upsetting when the focus quickly gets distorted and gets redirected to somewhere else. Now they felt like they owed it to their voters to get rid of them, and it really took the focus definitely off the people that lose their lives,” Lee said. “I would love the state legislature to do something around gun control, around background checks, around red flag laws, that would at least show they we’re trying to do something.”

Reflecting on Dr. Koonce’s legacy, Lee told News 2 she was the one responsible for bringing active shooter training to The Covenant School.