State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) has filed a federal lawsuit against Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton.

Jones is alleging numerous constitutional violations related to his expulsion and silencing during this year’s legislative session.

In the lawsuit, Jones alleges Sexton’s moves to oust him earlier this year, keep him off committees, and prevent him from speaking on certain bills have violated numerous sections of the U.S. Constitution and the Tennessee state constitution.

The lawsuit names Sexton, state House chief clerk Tammy Letzler, state House Chief Sergeant at Arms Bobby Trotter, and parliamentarian Daniel Hicks as co-defendants.

Jones said his removal from the Tennessee House earlier this year violated his right to a fair trial and unfairly stripped him of committee assignments. He also alleges rules passed to silence House members during the August special legislative session violated his right to free speech.

“Time and again over the past year, defendants have blocked Representative Jones from expressing views on critical issues that he was elected to express, ensuring that viewpoints dissenting from their own are silenced, neither heard nor spoken,” said Jones’ lawyers.