WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — It was a long and heated night in Wilson County.  

One school board member is in the middle of controversy after nearly a dozen complaints were heard during the ethics committee meeting on Thursday, Feb. 9. 

On Thursday night, the ethics committee met for the first time in several years to address those complaints publicly. 

“If you have to think about it, it’s not an ethics violation. It’s hurt feelings. I’m sorry. Okay. If your feelings are hurt, then I’m sorry. That’s what I’m guilty of not violating ethics,” said Joseph Padilla, Zone 4 School Board Member.  

Padilla defended himself after nine community members had the opportunity to address their complaints against him to the Wilson County Ethics Committee. 

Some of those complaints centered around posts he made on his Facebook page. One constituent claimed he posted partisan politics during the election.

“You are not supposed to be posting partisan politics as a school board member.” 

However, that complaint was dismissed.  

John Cody filed a complaint against Padilla.

“Mr. Padilla at worst threatened me with violence and at best attempted to intimate me and bully me,” a 42-year-old resident of Zone 4 said.

After an hours-long meeting, the final constituent claimed he was threatened by Padilla over Facebook and later filed a police report.  

“If anyone wants to know anything about this case, go pull it, it’s a public record. Go pull this request, pull my emails and pull everything you can on me. Because I promise there is nothing there,” Padilla said. 

The ethics committee dismissed the complaint after no charges were brought forward.  

Only one complaint was not dismissed after a Wilson County teacher filed a complaint that Padilla shared a photo of her classroom to a media outlet without her permission.  

The complaint was referred to be heard in front of the school board for public censure in March.