The office of Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada is being investigated for reportedly attempting to frame a young activist who challenged Republican lawmakers during legislative sessions.

"This was an extreme form of retaliation where you are willing to lie to take away somebody's freedom," said Justin Jones, the student activist at the center of the controversy.

In late February, Jones was arrested and released on the condition that he have no contact with Speaker Casada, something Jones says he has done.

"I've obeyed it," Jones said to NewsChannel5. "This many months later, I have not had any contact with Casada or have not been at the Capitol. So I followed the no-contact order."

But a motion filed to revoke Jones' bond filed by Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk's office citing an email forwarded by Cade Cothren, the speaker's chief of staff, sent by Jones to Casada's office March 1, one day after the order of no contact was put in place.

"It was a shock because it was my freedom," Jones said. "If this would have went through to revoke my bond, I would be in jail right now until my court date. So this is not something I take lightly."

Jones' copy of the original email that was sent and later forwarded to the district attorney to put him in prison was actually dated before the order was enacted on February 25.

"You have some of the most powerful people in this state who are willing to file a false report and to file false paperwork and to manipulate paperwork to take your freedom away," Jones said. "That's something that's scary."

In the time since, text messages sent by Cothren further questions his possible racist attitudes. In the messages, Cothren stated “Black people are idiots” and instructed his friends to refer to Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Jameis Winston as “Thug N****r.

In response, Cothren refused to comment, and Speaker Casada refused to acknowledge he was aware of the situation.

"I know nothing of that — nothing," Casada told NewsChannel 5.

Even while denying knowledge of it, Jones questions why someone who would hold the position would frame a private citizen to try and throw him in prison.

"It was done to put me in jail," Jones said, "which is scary that somebody in such a public office – an office that swears to uphold the state constitution, an office that is in charge of a $38 billion budget – is doing something like this. I mean, it's shameful."

A special prosecutor has been requested for the case by the Nashville district attorney.

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