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Covenant School tries to stop release of materials related to shooting

Attorneys for Nashville's The Covenant School are asking a judge to block the release of some materials related to a mass shooting on campus.
Two women hug at a memorial at the entrance to The Covenant School.
Posted at 8:55 PM, May 15, 2023

In documents filed in court on Monday in Tennessee, attorneys for Nashville's The Covenant School filed a motion of intervention in two separate cases asking for the court to withhold some documents related to a mass shooting on its campus.

There are three parties who want the shooter's writings and all related materials from the Metro Nashville Police Department. Those parties are the Tennessee Firearms Association, the National Police Association and the Tennessee Star.

The school filed a motion of intervention in only two of those cases. Those include the firearms and police association lawsuits.

In early May, police said they would not release records related to The Covenant School shooting. Police said they were advised by counsel to "hold in abeyance the release of records." 

First Amendment lawyers and public records advocates say the records are public regardless of the suit because Nashville police indicated they weren't actively using those documents to charge anyone with a crime.

In its motion for intervention, attorneys for the school said they were filing to "protect its interests" relating to the release of records sought in the matter.

"The records sought may include and/or relate to sensitive information owned by The Covenant School, including but not limited to the schematics of school facilities and confidential information pertaining to The Covenant School employees and students," those attorneys wrote in the motion.

The motion is set to be heard in court on May 18 at 1 p.m. local time. 

This story was originally published by Emily West at Scripps News Nashville. 

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