Judge rules Covenant school shooter writings can't be released
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The writings of The Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale will not be released to the public, after a Nashville judge ruled early Friday they are protected by federal copyright laws.
The latest: Chancellor I'Ashea Myles' order, issued at midnight Friday morning, says that the majority of police records from last year's school shooting must be released, but not until the investigation is complete.
- She ruled that elements of the investigation file related to school security will not be released.
Why it matters: The Tennessean newspaper and other plaintiffs sued for access to the records, including Hale's journal entry and other writings, arguing there was a public interest in the file's release. Covenant School families argued passionately against the release of the journals, saying they could further traumatize survivors.
- An appeal of Myles' ruling is likely.
Context: Myles ruled that federal copyright law preempts state public records law and prevents the release of Hale's journal.
- After the March 27, 2023 shooting, which claimed the lives of six people including three children, Hale's parents transferred ownership of the journal to a trust for the children who were at The Covenant School.
What's inside: "School shootings and violence have unfortunately become commonplace in our society. Access to immediate information has also become a societal expectation which we all share," Myles wrote in the order.
- "However, there are occasions when this immediate access to and demand for information must be balanced and moderated to safeguard the integrity of our legal system, particularly the criminal legal system."
Zoom in: Myles also agreed with a medical expert for Covenant families, who testified during the trial that the journal entries were likely to result in a future school shooter using them as motivation.
State of play: Some of Hale's writings have been leaked to conservative media outlets over the last year, prompting police investigations. Last month, a legal filing by the city linked a police department whistleblower to the leaks.
What they're saying: In prepared statements Friday morning, family members of six people killed in the shooting celebrated Myles' ruling.
- "This opinion is an important first step to making sure the killer can't hurt our babies anymore," Erin Kinney, mother of 9-year-old victim Will Kinney, said. "The importance is even more clear due to the leaking of stolen police documents, which has violated our parental right to protect our traumatized and grieving children from material that could destroy their lives."