In a major victory for The Tennessee Star, the Tennessee Supreme Court declined to accept an appeal from Metro Nashville, the Covenant School, and a group of Covenant parents challenging a February ruling from the Tennessee Court of Appeals in the Covenant School killing-records lawsuit.
The denial issued last week leaves intact the appellate court’s decision reversing Tennessee Chancery Court Chancellor I’Ashea Myles’ broad order withholding the records, and sends the case back to Davidson County Chancery Court for further review.
In its February decision, the appellate court specifically instructed Myles to make available to The Star and the other plaintiffs Metro records that had been withheld solely because the investigation was ongoing. It also ordered Myles to conduct a full review of the killer’s writings, redacting only portions that contain actual school-security information, before releasing them for inspection by the plaintiffs.
Notably, the appellate court specifically told the chancellor that the process “should be concluded as expeditiously as possible.”
Michael Patrick Leahy, the editor-in-chief of The Star, CEO of Star News Digital Media, Inc. (SNDM), and plaintiff in the lawsuit, said on Monday that he was pleased with the Tennessee Supreme Court’s decision.
“I am pleased with this excellent decision by the Tennessee State Supreme Court to deny the request to review the case,” he stated.
Leahy said, “After more than three long years, we anticipate the trial court will follow the Tennessee Court of Appeals’ order, and deliver all of the documents we have requested from Metro Nashville Police Department related to the Covenant case in a timely manner.”
Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who identified as a transgender man named Aiden, killed three 9-year-old students and three adults at the Covenant School on March 27, 2023.
In 2024, The Star obtained and published a copy of the killer’s final journal, which law enforcement originally recovered from the vehicle she drove to the scene of the crime.
Last year, under the Trump administration, the federal government agreed to release the killer’s writing in order to resolve outstanding litigation related to the Covenant case, including a lawsuit filed by Leahy and SNDM.
In the most recent release of the killer’s writings by the FBI, she listed “hate religion” and “white [people] I hate” as reasons to attack the Covenant School.
The Star was nominated for the Dao Prize in Best Local Journalism in 2025 for its reporting on the Covenant case.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
