A group of parents whose children attend The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, is seeking a court order to prevent authorities from releasing the writings of the shooter who killed three children and three adult staff members in March at the private Christian learning facility.
The group, which includes parents of the three children killed, all 9-year-olds, filed a motion Wednesday in Davidson County Chancery Court to block authorities from releasing the manifesto of Audrey Hale, 28, a former student at The Covenant School who was shot dead by police.
Over the past few weeks, the National Police Association and Tennessee Firearms Association, many media outlets, and members of the Tennessee Legislature have gone to court to make Hale's manifesto public. On Monday, attorneys for The Covenant School filed a motion to prevent the manifesto's public release.
The parents' attorneys said they filed the motion "on behalf of all three families who lost children and who have endured a pain that no words can adequately describe" and "on behalf of the surviving children who lived through an unimaginable nightmare and who must deal with the repercussions of that nightmare for the rest of their lives."
The attorneys added they are filing it "on behalf of the overwhelming percentage of parents of those surviving children who have opted to join this intervention, all of whom — every day, when they embrace their kids in the morning and tuck them in at night — pray for healing and hope for safety while dealing with the reality that they have been forever changed and their sense of safety forever altered."
The parents' attorneys said they will argue the Tennessee Open Records Act does not apply in the name of school safety and there is an "implicit exception." WTVF-TV in Nashville reported it was told by First Amendment lawyers and public records advocates that regardless of the lawsuits, Hale's writings are open to evaluation because the Nashville police haven't indicated they plan to charge someone with a crime.
A show cause hearing on the matter is set for June 8, and the parents pleaded with the court at least to delay release of Hale's writings until after the hearing. June 8 also is the last day of the school year for The Covenant School.
"The parents are deeply concerned about any release of any of the writings while their children are still trying to finish the school year," the motion said. "The parents worry that such release will simply cause their children more pain and trauma. The school year is almost over and will be complete by June 8. To spare the parents and their children that unnecessary pain, they implore the court to please refrain from any release until the show cause hearing."
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