Damon Curry Morris

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.

Public filings

Tennessee law requires candidates and officeholders to file campaign finance reports and a statement of interest. None of the state or county sites below supports direct links to an individual record — you'll need to search by last name on each.

Campaign finance

• 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.
• Shelby County and municipal offices (County Mayor, Commissioner, Sheriff, School Board, court clerks, municipal alderman, etc.) — Shelby County Public Campaign Finance Portal . Select the election year and search by candidate name (“Morris”).

Statement of interest (conflict 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 from the dropdown.