Lawsuit over Covenant School assailant’s writings will be heard in April

A Chancery Court judge has set the dates for the lawsuit related to the release of the Covenant School assailant’s writings.

At a hearing on Monday, Chancellor I’Ashea L. Myles scheduled the trial date hearing for April 16 and April 17. It will be a significant step forward in the ongoing legal battle over how much of these documents should be made available to the public. That debate began shortly after the Covenant School shooting last March, which left three children and three adults dead.

The plaintiffs who are arguing for the release of those documents include the Tennessee Firearms Association, a police non-profit, The Tennessean newspaper and state Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga. The separate lawsuits have been consolidated into one, which argues that the documents should be made public under the Tennessee Public Records Act.

Meanwhile, Covenant parents who oppose the release of the writings worry that making them public could inspire future school shootings, re-traumatize students and even jeopardize the school’s safety in the future.