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Damon Curry Morris
Office history
County School Board Division 9
— Shelby, TN
2026
general
Memphis City Council Super District 8 Position 3
— Shelby, TN
2023
general
2026 Candidacy
- Democratic candidate for Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board, District 9, in the May 5, 2026 primary. One of five Democrats in the race; no Republicans filed. (Chalkbeat TN voter guide, Chalkbeat TN, Feb 2026)
- Only District 9 candidate supporting state intervention / takeover of MSCS; has met with Republican lawmakers in Nashville sponsoring such efforts. (Chalkbeat TN voter guide)
Career
- Substitute teacher in Memphis City Schools beginning 1999; behavioral specialist at Treadwell Middle School for 12 years beginning in 2005; currently home-schools and tutors students. (Chalkbeat TN voter guide)
- Leads the (unchartered) Teen Town University; reports a 96.7% graduation rate. (JustMyMemphis)
Education
- Bachelor's degree, LeMoyne-Owen College; Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP). (Ballotpedia)
Prior candidacies
- 2014: Ran for the then-new Shelby County Schools District 9 seat; finished third with 13% behind Mike Kernell (48%) and Roshun Austin (39%). (Ballotpedia)
- 2023: Ran for Memphis City Council Super District 8, Position 3; finished last of seven candidates with 829 votes. (Ballotpedia)
Activism and legal history
- One of the "School Board Five" (with LJ Abraham, Tikeila Rucker, Amber Sherman, Rachael Spriggs) who were banned from MSCS property after a May 9, 2023 board meeting. The group filed a federal First Amendment lawsuit on June 13, 2023. (Chalkbeat TN)
- The group reached a $200,000 settlement with MSCS, announced December 2024. (WREG)
- Arrested August 26, 2025, outside MSCS headquarters on a misdemeanor charge of violating an order of protection obtained by MSCS board member Stephanie Love. Morris has called the arrest a "ploy" to keep him from running. (Daily Memphian, Chalkbeat TN voter guide)
Platform
- Restoring public trust, accountability and transparency, student-centered focus, competitive salaries for all education roles, adequate CTE / vocational classroom materials. Cites 75–76% of MSCS students reading below grade level as a central concern. (JustMyMemphis)
In his words
- "I was heavily involved in it, and no other candidate can say that. My strength is diplomacy." (Chalkbeat TN voter guide)
- "Education is in my bones. My family has spent over 40 years in pre-K." (JustMyMemphis)
Compiled from publicly available web sources on 2026-04-18. Campaign-reported biographical details (Teen Town graduation rate, multi-generational family teaching legacy) are self-reported and not independently verified.
Statement of interest (Tennessee Ethics Commission)
- 2026 — School Board (SS-8005) — filed as a Shelby County official/candidate
Source: Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search. Scraped 2026-04-25.
Public filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.
Tennessee — Shelby County campaign finance (Memphis City Council, Dist. 8, Pos. 3)
- Morris, Damon - CFD 4th Quarter 2023 — filed 01/31/24
- Morris, Damon - CFD 3rd Quarter 2023l — filed 10/09/23
- Damon Curry Morris Financial Disclosure Pre-General 2023 — filed 09/27/23
- Damon Curry Morris CFD 2nd Quarter Memphis City Council 8-3 — filed 07/06/23
- Morris, Damon Curry - Appointment of Treasurer 2023.pdf — filed 05/30/23
Tennessee — Shelby County campaign finance (County School Bd., Dist. 9)
- Morris, Damon - CFD 1st Quarter 2026.pdf — filed 04/08/26
- Morris, Damon Curry - CFD Year-End 2025.pdf — filed 02/17/26
- Morris, Damon Curry - Appointment of Treasurer 2026.pdf — filed 12/29/25
Tennessee — campaign finance (search)
- State offices (Governor, US Senate, US Rep, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee) — Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Morris”, and submit.
Tennessee — statement of interest
- Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “Morris”and, if needed, select the applicable position.
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