Two Democratic lawmakers have been expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives. The move comes in response to their participation in the student gun control protests on the chamber floor last week. Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were ousted, while Rep. Gloria Johnson who is white and also participated in the protest was not. Johnson described the ousting of the two Black lawmakers as racist.

The student protest at the state capital came on the heels of the Covenant School shooting in which 6 people, 3 students, and 3 staffers lost their lives. The governor of Tennessee has called for armed guards at school but has been non-committal to additional gun control measures.