Journalist Michael Patrick Leahy, editor-in-chief of the Tennessee Star, is set to appear in court following the publication of journal writings by Audrey Hale, the transgender shooter responsible for the March 2023 Covenant Elementary School shooting in Tennessee. Five months after the tragic event, the case continues under Nashville Chancellor I’Ashea Myles, who has been overseeing a public records dispute regarding the release of documents related to the shooting.
Hale, who identified as a male named Aiden, killed three adults and three children before being shot by responding officers. Her writings, which were found in her car, included details of her resentment towards her conservative Christian upbringing and her struggles with gender identity. The Tennessee Star published snippets of these writings, but not actual leaked images, despite ongoing court orders keeping certain documents sealed. This publication has raised concerns related to freedom of the press.
Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, and Jeff Clark, a former US attorney, have voiced support for Leahy’s actions. Meanwhile, the Nashville Metropolitan Police and the FBI maintain that releasing this information could harm ongoing investigations. Leahy plans to defend his rights to publish at the upcoming court appearance.