Veteran candidate for Clarksville City Council asked in public meeting about his mental health

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After publicly asking about the mental health of an Army veteran and City Council candidate, councilperson Wanda Smith reached out the next day to apologize, according to the candidate.

A teacher at West Creek High School, Brian Zacharias is one of five people who addressed the council Thursday night with hopes of representing Ward 1 on the council. After his opening statement, Zacharias was asked by Smith if he was physically and mentally prepared to serve as an elected representative:

“I see you retired from the military. Were you ever in any wars or anything like that? … How did that affect your health, did it affect you in any kind of way?” Smith asked.

“Mentally? Physically?” Zacharias replied.

“Mentally, physically?” Smith said.

“Mentally, physically, I’m fit to fight. Just don’t ask me to take a PT test right now. It’s been a few years.”

“No medical care or anything like that? You are a critical thinking, mentally sound – you’re ready to serve?” Smith asked.

“Yes ma’am,” Zacharias responded.

Public reaction

Several people have objected to Smith’s questions, saying it was inappropriate and potentially stigmatizing towards the mental health of military veterans.

Monica Meeks, a local veteran who by her own account suffers from PTSD, said she found the line of questioning harmful to veterans who might seek public office.

“I was appalled, taken aback, because it seemed very out of place. This veteran and teacher with multiple deployments, for her to ask about his mental health was a trigger for a lot of veterans,” Meeks said. “That was very inappropriate and was very offensive to ask a veteran, especially given this climate. … We already feel like a fish out of water when applying for jobs.”

Meeks said she emailed Smith to voice her concerns, but as of Friday morning she had not received a response.

Smith responds

Clarksville Now contacted Smith, who said her questions were in response to Zacharias’ biography and were in no way meant to cause offense.

“There was no intention of anything being negative,” Smith said. “I thought he was a very intelligent person, that he spoke well and presented well. … He did a great job. It talks a lot of courage to come forth, and I respect all of (the candidates).”

She added that being in the public eye can be a challenge that prospective council members should be prepared for.

“When you are in the public eye, you have to remember that your life is like an open storybook. You have to have tough skin to be on the council,” Smith said.

Zacharias calls for teachable moment

Clarksville Now spoke with Zacharias, who said he did not find Smith’s question insulting or hurtful.

“I definitely understand why people would be concerned. I do want to reiterate personally that I was not offended by the question,” he said. “I think that it was thought to be an innocent type of question when it was asked. I commend councilwoman Smith for her ability to read the room.”

Zacharias said Smith reached out to him via a third party Friday morning “just to make sure that I understood that she meant no offence by it, and I do believe that she is sincere.”

He said he hopes the exchange can be seen as a teachable moment. “I would like this, if nothing else, to be a learning experience for everybody,” he said.

“One of the best ways to prevent this from happening again is to do as much as we can to destigmatize people who seek mental health treatment. We need to make people feel comfortable seeking that help when we need it.”

Current council members will vote on candidates Tuesday, Sept. 7, at 4:30 p.m. at City Council Chambers.