Nashville school shooting families accuse senator of using bill to get his way in records lawsuit

Source: Associated Press

Nashville school shooting families accuse senator of using bill to get his way in records lawsuit

BY TRAVIS LOLLER
Updated 5:48 PM EDT, April 10, 2024

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Family members representing the six people killed in a Nashville school shooting last year have filed an ethics complaint against a Tennessee state senator, arguing he is being self-serving by both suing for the release of the shooter’s writings and filing legislation to prevent third parties like them from intervening in public records lawsuits.

Sen. Todd Gardenhire is one of several people who filed open records requests last year seeking access to journals and other materials that were collected by Metro Nashville Police during their investigation. Police have said they will release the documents, but not until their investigation is closed, which is expected to be in a few months.

When their records request was denied last year, the senator and several others sued to force the release of the records. They argue there is not an open investigation because the shooter is dead, killed by police, and no one else is being prosecuted. But the case has been complicated and delayed by a dispute over who can be a party to the lawsuit.

A group of Covenant parents, the Covenant School and the Covenant Presbyterian Church that shares its building all sought to intervene in the case and were eventually granted that right by the court. The school and the church are seeking to ensure that no details are made public that could jeopardize the security of the building. The parents do not want any of the documents released, arguing that they could further traumatize their children and inspire copycats.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/nashville-covenant-school-shooting-records-writings-a73ad27416832bcb2c62fc4db5314ccb