NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Legal battles over the release of documents related to the 2023 Nashville elementary school shooting have intensified, with attorneys pleading for a judge’s ruling amidst leaked records about the shooter. The case revolves around whether Tennessee’s public records law should allow access to investigative files and other records from the Covenant School massacre, where six individuals, including three children, lost their lives.
A group of Covenant School parents has joined the lawsuit, arguing against the release of any documents that could potentially incite copycat incidents or retraumatize their children. Despite efforts to keep the documents confidential, details from the shooter’s writings were leaked to the media on two notable occasions.
Most recently, The Tennessee Star published numerous stories based on 80 pages of the shooter’s writings obtained from an undisclosed source. This publication is among the plaintiffs advocating for access to the records. In response, Nashville Chancellor I’Ashea Myles summoned Editor-in-Chief Michael Leahy and Star News Digital Media to court to explain their decision to publish details from the leaked documents, potentially violating court protection of records.
During a hearing, Myles emphasized the importance of parties providing clarifications to form the basis for her ruling. The leaked documents have caused delays in issuing an anticipated 60-plus page judgment. Despite concerns raised over the impact of the leaked information, attorneys involved in the case did not believe it significantly influenced the ongoing legal proceedings.
While tensions rose during exchanges between Leahy’s attorney, Daniel Horwitz, and the judge, the focus remained on clarifying the information sought by the court. The allegations of possible contempt sanctions were not addressed during the hearing.
Police investigations into the leak of Covenant documents continue, with Lt. Alfredo Arevalo implicating a former colleague, Garet Davidson, who had access to the documents before leaving the police force. Arevalo expressed dismay over the leak’s consequences for the victims’ families.
It was revealed that the shooter at Covenant, a private Christian school, left behind journals, a suicide note, and an unpublished memoir. The city of Nashville has argued that the documents need not be released during an ongoing police investigation, contrary to the plaintiffs’ claims of an inactive criminal inquiry since the shooter’s demise.
The legal battle over public records involves various plaintiffs, including news outlets, a gun rights group, a law enforcement nonprofit, and State Sen. Todd Gardenhire. Star News Digital Media has also filed a lawsuit against the FBI in federal court seeking the release of the documents.