Court Of Appeals Rules Covenant School Parents Have Right To Intervene In Legal Battle Over Shooter’s Manifesto

Image Credit: @scrowder / X

By Anita Wadhwani [Tennessee Lookout -CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] –

The Covenant School, Covenant Presbyterian Church and parents of children at the school can intervene in the legal fight to obtain records related to the mass shooting that claimed the lives of three children and three adults at school on March 27, the Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.

The ruling allows the school, church and families, who oppose the release of the shooter’s writings and other records, to remain active parties in an ongoing public records lawsuit in Davidson County Chancery Court brought by two news organizations, a state senator and a gun-rights group who argued the records belong to the public.

Those groups opposed the intervention of the school, church and families, who have argued the shooter’s writings could endanger school security, encourage copy-cat actors and add to the trauma already experienced by children and staff at the school, where shooter Audrey Hale unleashed 152 rounds in the span of less than 15 minutes before being killed by Metro Nashville police officers.

Davidson County Chancellor I’Ashea Myles ruled the groups could intervene and agreed to pause the proceedings until the Court of Appeals could rule. The ruling allows the case to resume. Metro officials have thus far denied records requests, citing an ongoing investigation.