MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — A Rutherford County jail administrator has been fired in the wake of two recent inmate suicides earlier this year.

Rutherford County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Lisa Marchesoni confirmed that Maj. Tommy Thompson, a jail administrator at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center lost his job on Friday, The Daily News Journal reported (http://on.dnj.com/1PNkmpS).

The firing comes after the inmate suicides as well as the filing of two jail-related lawsuits. It is unclear whether any of those incidents were responsible for his firing.

Jonothan Maxwell of La Vergne hanged himself on Jan. 30 with the cord of a pay phone while in a holding cell, waiting to be booked for domestic assault. Maxwell's wife has since filed a lawsuit, accusing the jail employees of being negligent.

Eight days after Maxwell's death, Michael J. Murray hanged himself in his cell during recreation time. Murray had been indicted on three counts sexual battery by an authority figure and one count solicitation for aggravated sexual battery.

Sheriff Robert Arnold told the newspaper he has repeatedly asked the county to hire more jailers, saying that the 958-bed correctional facility is understaffed by at least 43.

Thompson, a former deputy U.S. marshal, served as the commander over the detention division, which includes transportation and maintenance, as well as the jail.

The newspaper's attempts to reach Thompson were unsuccessful.