The way school officials handled his case also exposes glaring contradictions in two recent state laws that aim to criminalize school threats and require schools to expel students who make them — with minimal transparency or accountability.
Police close investigation into Covenant School shooting, saying assailant acted alone for notoriety
A new 44-page report from Metro Nashville Police shows that the 2023 Covenant School assailant acted alone, obtained several guns legally and was driven by a desire for notoriety.
Threat assessment laws: Preventing mass violence or traumatizing kids?
After the Covenant School shooting in 2023, Tennessee lawmakers passed two contradictory laws that were designed to reduce violence and discourage students from making threats.
How many students have been expelled under Tennessee’s school threats law? There’s no clear answer.
When a mother in Tennessee reached out to ProPublica last year to share that her 10-year-old had been kicked out of school for making a finger gun, she wondered how many other kids had experienced the same thing.
How Antioch High School is stepping up security and counseling
Class will not feel the same at Antioch High School this week. Metro Nashville Public Schools is implementing new security measures and says students and staff will spend the week focusing on emotional well-being, mental health support and community building.
Two Families Sue After 11-Year-Old and 13-Year-Old Students Were Arrested Under Tennessee’s School Threat Law
The lawsuits, filed in federal court this month, argue East Tennessee school officials violated students’ rights by calling the police on them under Tennessee’s threats of mass violence law.
A 13-year-old with autism got arrested after his backpack sparked fear. Only his stuffed bunny was inside.
Disability rights advocates said kids like Ty should not be getting arrested under Tennessee’s school threats law. And they tried to push for a broader exception for kids with other kinds of disabilities. It didn’t work.
An 11-year-old denied making a threat and was allowed to return to school. Tennessee police arrested him anyway.
Tennessee’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a series of increasingly punitive laws aimed not only at preventing future violence but dissuading kids from making threats that disrupt school and terrify other students.
‘We’ve just got to keep showing up’: Nashvillians gather to support Covenant School on one-year anniversary
“We find solace in the light that has emerged from the darkness,” reads a statement from the Covenant School acknowledging the community’s support.
School vouchers will dominate this legislative session. What other education proposals are lawmakers pursuing?
Tennessee lawmakers are returning to the capitol after a week-long closure due to snow and frigid temperatures. As the session gets underway, education issues will be a top priority. Especially Gov. Bill Lee’s universal school voucher proposal.
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