Thursday, January 23, 2025
Man accused of trying to enter Nashville Jewish Center in disguise appears in court
The man accused of disguising himself in an attempt to enter a Jewish community center in Nashville appeared before a judge for the first time Thursday morning.
A front desk employee, security guard and detective all testified at Travis Keith Garland's preliminary hearing before Judge Melissa Blackburn, who found there was probable cause for the charges against him. Now those charges — criminal trespassing and assault — will be heard by a grand jury, the next step in the criminal court process.
Garland, 31, is also facing an additional charge in connection to the case.
Attorneys said during the hearing that a grand jury on Wednesday indicted Garland for a civil rights violation.
Blackburn declined to reduce Garland's bond from $250,000, which was set when Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk appeared in night court himself after the defendant's arrest, an unusual action, to request a high bond.
After Garland's arrest, Jesse Feld, the Gordon Jewish Community Center's executive director, said they are "not intimidated by these bad actors."
"We are committed to continually providing a safe and secure environment for our vibrant Jewish community to continue to grow," Feld said last week.
The Gordon Jewish Community Center is a centralized, interdenominational institution for the Nashville area Jewish community through its many programs — camps, religious holiday celebrations and a film festival, among others — and its facilities for fitness and educational programs. Though many within Nashville's Jewish community are spread across five major congregations and other worship spaces to observe Shabbat, it often gathers as one for events at the Gordon JCC.
https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2025/01/23/man-accused-of-trying-to-enter-nashville-jewish-center-disguised-in-court/77874939007/
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