Metro Board May Cut Mayor's Ex-Bodyguard's Pension

NASHVILLE, TN -- A Metro board may slash the pension of Robert Forrest, the former mayoral security chief who had an affair with ex-Mayor Megan Barry.

During a Tuesday study session attended by Forrest, the Employee Benefits Board indicated it would reduce his pension calculation by at least $45,000, the amount he paid back to Metro after he pleaded guilty to theft at the end of a tumultuous scandal-ridden six weeks that culminated with his plea, that of Barry herself on theft charges and the mayor's resignation.

Metro pensions are calculated using the last five years of compensation, so the steep escalation in Forrest's overtime during Barry's tenure would necessarily ramp up his retirement payment.

State law says that government employees convicted of felonies related to on-the-job malfeasance are ineligible to receive pensions. Though Forrest pleaded guilty to felony theft, he is not considered a convicted felon, because that conviction can be wiped from his record provided he complies with three years of unsupervised probation.

Nevertheless, the board seemed open to idea of reducing the pension calculation by at least $45,000 with the option to change that amount pending the results of an investigation by Metro's in-house auditor, according to The Tennessean.

The board will take up the matter officially at its April meeting.

Photo via Metro Nashville Police