By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A Tennessee appeals court ruled that writings left by the Covenant School shooter can be made available to the public.
• The decision overturns part of a 2024 lower court ruling that had sided with families seeking to keep the records sealed.
• Documents include journals, a memoir and a suicide note from the shooter in the March 2023 Nashville attack.
• The case was sent back to the lower court to determine what specific materials remain exempt; families have 60 days to appeal.
NASHVILLE, TN — A Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that writings by the person who killed six people in the March 2023 Covenant School shooting can be made available under the Tennessee Public Records Act.
The unanimous decision overturns much of a 2024 trial court ruling that had upheld requests by families to keep journals, a memoir and a suicide note sealed, citing concerns about school safety and trauma.
Appeals court judges said the lower court’s interpretation of a public-records exception for school safety was too broad and emphasized that allowing public inspection does not inherently violate copyright protections, even though some writings were transferred to victims’ families.
The case was sent back to the trial court to review individual records for specific exemptions; the parents involved have 60 days to seek further appeal, according to the ruling.
The March 2023 attack at The Covenant School in Nashville claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three adults.