Arguments Heard In Tennessee Court Of Appeals Regarding Covenant Shooter’s Manifesto

Image courtesy of 6qCreative

The Tennessee Conservative [By Rebecca Scott] –

The manifesto of the suspect responsible for taking the lives of three children and three adults at The Covenant School in Nashville remains sealed as lawsuits and testimonies are brought up arguing both for and against the release of the writings.

It’s been six months since the shooting rampage took the lives of the six victims, and many conservatives believe it is important that the public know exactly what was in the manifesto.

Earlier this year, a coalition of several organizations requested the release of the police records from the shooting per the Tennessee Public Records Act. When metro police denied the release of the records, the coalition sued.

At that point, more than one-hundred Covenant families came forward as a third party to the case in opposition to the release of records. Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea Myles ruled that the families had the right to intervene. 

 According to the Tennessee Comptroller website, “The Tennessee Public Records Act helps ensure government accountability and transparency by providing Tennessee citizens access to public records.”

While there are currently 538 exceptions to the Records Act, there is not a clear argument that the withholding of the manifesto would fall under any of those exceptions, even with the families coming forward. 

On Monday, arguments were heard from both sides in the Tennessee Court of Appeals.

Families of the victims are requesting that the records remain sealed as they argue that the release of information would cause unnecessary anguish and additional trauma on top of the pain and suffering they have already experienced.

Representatives of Covenant Presbyterian Church and The Covenant School suggest that a release of the information could compromise the security of the church and school.

Those arguing for the release of the manifesto include one of the victim’s family members, news organizations, an attorney representing the National Police Association, and others. These believe that important insights on security, protocols, mental health, and public safety could be gleaned from an understanding of the plans, motives, and thought processes of the suspect.  

While those for and against the release of these records argue their cases in court, many others are wondering if the documents have been sealed for other more politically motivated reasons.

Currently, a ruling has not been made in the case. However, if victims’ families and the school are able to successfully halt the release of the manifesto, there is concern over the precedent this may set in court cases and public records releases all across the state of Tennessee.

While the people of Tennessee remember the victims and their families, many also believe that the release of the manifesto could give significant insight into how to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.

Many Tennesseans are convinced that these records should have been made available before Governor Lee’s special session in August that focused on public safety. That session has been called chaotic and resulted in four bills crossing the governor’s desk dealing with human trafficking, gun safes and locks, and funding for mental health.

About the Author: Rebecca Scott is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Rebecca at Rebecca@tennesseeconservativenews.com.