NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee judge on Wednesday seemed ready to agree with an attorney for Nashville police that the writings of a school shooter could be released as public record once the investigation is officially closed.
But the parents of children at the Covenant School added an extra twist to an already complicated case by asserting that they have gained legal ownership of the writings from the shooter's parents and now hold the copyright.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee judge on Wednesday seemed ready to agree with an attorney for Nashville police that the writings of a school shooter could be released as public record once the investigation is officially closed.
Nashville Law Department Associate Director attorney Lora Barkenbus Fox argues against the immediate release of documents and journals of the Covenant School shooter to be released to the public during a hearing in Chancery Court, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Covenant School parent Brent Leatherwood, right, addresses the media after a hearing to decide whether documents and journals of a Nashville school shooter can be released to the public, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Chancellor I'Ashea L. Myles presides over a hearing to decide whether the journals of the Covenant School shooter can be released to the public Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Rocky King, attorney for the The for Covenant Presbyterian Church, presents arguments against the release of documents and the journals of the Covenant School shooter during a Chancery Court hearing Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Peter Clett, attorney for The Covenant School, presents arguments against the release of documents and the journals of the Covenant School shooter during a Chancery Court hearing Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Covenant School parents and their attorneys huddle in prayer outside a courtroom before a hearing to decide whether documents and journals of a Nashville school shooter can be released to the public Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. A Tennessee judge will soon decide whether the journals of a Nashville school shooter can be released to the public, after nearly a year of legal wrangling over who can participate in the case. (AP Photo/Travis Loller)
None of the eight attorneys arguing before Davidson County Chancery Court Judge I'Ashea Myles during a two-day hearing claimed to be a copyright expert. Their answers to Myles' pointed questions about the interplay of federal copyright protections and the Tennessee Public Records Act seemed at times only to muddy the waters further.
In the end, Myles said she will write an order outlining specific questions she wants them to address. Only after that will she rule on when, if ever, the writings can be released to the public.
Police have said the writings that they collected as part of their investigation into the March 27, 2023, shooting at the Covenant School that killed three 9-year-old children and three adult staff members are public records. However, they have said they cannot be released until their investigation is concluded.
Those asking that the writings be released immediately include news outlets, a Tennessee state senator, a gun-rights group and a law enforcement nonprofit. They argue that the open investigation is a formality at this point. The shooter was killed by police at the scene, and no other suspects have been identified.
Meanwhile, three other groups that have been allowed to intervene in the case argued that none of the writings should ever be released.
In addition to the copyright issues, attorneys representing the Covenant parents, the Covenant School and the Covenant Presbyterian Church presented a united front in arguing that the writings fall under a Tennessee law that protects the privacy of information, records and plans related to school security. Giving the law the broadest possible reading, the writings could inspire copycats and therefore threaten Covenant's security, they argued.
Myles seemed to take exception to that interpretation.
“Right now, you're asking me to adopt an interpretation of this statute that information written in a journal should be construed as a plan related to school security," she said. She noted that any decision she makes is sure to be appealed and will have to survive the scrutiny of a higher court.
Eric Osborne, the parents' attorney, had yet another reason to keep the writings secret. All of the children of Covenant School are victims under the Tennessee Constitution and have a right to be free from abuse, harassment and intimidation. Releasing the writings publicly could harm the children and would violate the law, he argued.
Myles again pushed back on such a broad approach.
“Is ‘harm’ synonymous with harassment, intimidation and abuse?” she asked. “You’re asking this court to perhaps create new law.”
Myles offered the example of a victim undergoing cross-examination in a criminal trial. It might be upsetting, but it is not a violation of their constitutional rights, she said.
Myles added that she reads the law to protect victims during the pendency of criminal justice proceedings. “To say it is in perpetuity, after the investigation is closed — I don’t see it,” she told Osborne.
He replied that there is no expiration. “Once you are involved in the criminal justice system, you have the constitutional rights that Tennesseans have given to all victims,” Osborne said.
Myles then asked whether there might be some parents at the school who want the writings released. "You represent your clients’ interests. What you are asking the court to do puts a bar on what they want. Are you elevating one group of parents over another?” she said.
Osborne said that 103 of the 112 families with children at the school at the time of the March 27, 2023, attack have signed on to their position that the writings should be suppressed.
At the end of the hearing, Myles made clear that the decision was a difficult one.
“Before I’m a chancellor, I’m a human," she said. “I’m also a mom.”
Although her “heart grieves” for the children, Myles said she has to put emotion aside. “I have to take how I feel out of it. I have to interpret the law as written by the legislature,” she said.
Covenant School parent Brent Leatherwood addresses the media after a hearing to decide whether documents and journals of a Nashville school shooter can be released to the public Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Nashville Law Department Associate Director attorney Lora Barkenbus Fox argues against the immediate release of documents and journals of the Covenant School shooter to be released to the public during a hearing in Chancery Court, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Covenant School parent Brent Leatherwood, right, addresses the media after a hearing to decide whether documents and journals of a Nashville school shooter can be released to the public, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Chancellor I'Ashea L. Myles presides over a hearing to decide whether the journals of the Covenant School shooter can be released to the public Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Rocky King, attorney for the The for Covenant Presbyterian Church, presents arguments against the release of documents and the journals of the Covenant School shooter during a Chancery Court hearing Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Peter Clett, attorney for The Covenant School, presents arguments against the release of documents and the journals of the Covenant School shooter during a Chancery Court hearing Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Covenant School parents and their attorneys huddle in prayer outside a courtroom before a hearing to decide whether documents and journals of a Nashville school shooter can be released to the public Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. A Tennessee judge will soon decide whether the journals of a Nashville school shooter can be released to the public, after nearly a year of legal wrangling over who can participate in the case. (AP Photo/Travis Loller)
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Southeast Asia was coping with a weekslong heat wave on Monday as record-high temperatures led to school closings in several countries and urgent health warnings throughout the region.
Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities canceled in-person classes for two days. The main advice for everyone, everywhere has been to avoid outdoor activities and drink plenty of water, but the young and the elderly were told to be especially careful.
Cambodia this year is facing the highest temperatures in 170 years, Chan Yutha, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, told The Associated Press on Monday. His agency has forecast that temperatures in most parts of the country could reach up to 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) this week.
Myanmar’s meteorological department said Monday that seven townships in the central Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing and Bago regions experienced record-high temperatures. Several towns in Myanmar last week were on lists of the hottest spots worldwide.
Chauk township in Magway, historically the country's hottest region, saw Myanmar’s highest temperature at 48.2 degrees Celsius (118.8 degrees Fahrenheit), breaking the previous record of 47.4 degrees Celsius (117.3 degrees Fahrenheit) set in 1968.
The Philippines is among the nations worst affected by the sweltering weather in Southeast Asia, where the intense tropical summer heat worsened by humidity forced class cancellations in recent weeks and sparked fears of water shortages, power outages and damage to agricultural crops.
The Department of Education ordered students in more than 47,000 public schools to switch to home-based and online learning due to health risks from record-high temperatures and a three-day strike starting Monday by drivers who oppose a government program they fear would remove dilapidated passenger jeepneys from streets.
Large crowds have sought relief in air-conditioned shopping malls in Metropolitan Manila, the congested capital region of more than 14 million people where the temperature soared to 38.8 degrees Celsius (101.84 Fahrenheit) Saturday, surpassing the record set decades ago, according to weather officials.
In Thailand, temperatures have topped 44 C (111 F) in some areas in the northern parts of the country, while the capital Bangkok and metropolitan areas have seen temperatures go above 40 C (104 F). The forecast from the Meteorological Department said this year’s summer, which usually lasts from late February to late May, is expected to be 1-2 degrees hotter than last year, and rainfall will be lower than average.
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control said last week that at least 30 people have died from heatstroke so far this year, compared to 37 for all of last year.
Scientists have said the number of heat-related deaths around the world has been rising significantly in recent years along with temperatures, but the trend in Asia this year so far is unclear, partly because of the question of how to classify deaths that appear to be heat related.
At least 34 people have fallen ill due to the extreme heat in the Philippines so far this year, including six who died. The Department of Health said it was verifying what exactly caused the deaths.
Media in Bangladesh reported that in a five-day period earlier this month, at least 20 people died from heatstroke.
In Cambodia, however, officials indicated there were few if any heat-related fatalities. The Khmer Times, an online news platform, quoted the head of the Health Department of Phnom Penh, the capital, saying there had been no heat-related deaths or collapses.
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Associated Press writers Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok contributed to this report.
Supporters of the National Democratic Alliance sit on the staircase to shield themselves from the heat as their candidates arrive to file nomination papers ahead of national elections in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
People take rest a park near city hall and high court in Yangon, Myanmar, Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo)
Ferry boat drivers wait for passengers to cross Yangon river, at a jetty in Yangon, Myanmar, Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo)
Cambodian garment workers stand on a back truck as they wear scarfs and caps to protect themselves from hot sun during return home after a day's working at garment factory outside Phnom Penh Cambodia, Monday, April 29, 2024. Southeast Asia was coping with a weeks long heat wave on Monday as record-high temperatures led to school closings in several countries and urgent health warnings throughout the region. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Cambodian garment workers stand on a back truck as they wear scarfs and caps to protect themselves from hot sun during return home after a day's working at garment factory outside Phnom Penh Cambodia, Monday, April 29, 2024. Southeast Asia was coping with a weeks long heat wave on Monday as record-high temperatures led to school closings in several countries and urgent health warnings throughout the region. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Pedestrians walk cross a road near Sule pagoda im Yangon, Myanmar, Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo)
Cambodian garment workers stand on a back truck as they wearing scarfs and caps to protect from the hot sun during return home after a day's working at garment factory outside Phnom Penh Cambodia, Monday, April 29, 2024. Southeast Asia was coping with a weeks long heat wave on Monday as record-high temperatures led to school closings in several countries and urgent health warnings throughout the region. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
A vendor fixes his old umbrella as he prepares for another hot day in Manila, Philippines on Monday, April 29, 2024. Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days as an emergency step due to the scorching heat and a public transport strike. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
A man and woman use a cloth over their heads to protect them from the sun in Manila, Philippines on Monday, April 29, 2024. Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days as an emergency step due to the scorching heat and a public transport strike. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
A street vendor uses an umbrella to protect her from the sun along a street in Manila, Philippines on Monday, April 29, 2024. Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days as an emergency step due to the scorching heat and a public transport strike. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Street sweeper Rose Yatar uses sunblock on her face to protect her from the sun in Manila, Philippines on Monday, April 29, 2024. Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days as an emergency step due to the scorching heat and a public transport strike. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Parking attendant Andy Tinto uses laundry clips to put a blue towel over his cap to protect him from the sun as he assists cars in Manila, Philippines on Monday, April 29, 2024. Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days as an emergency step due to the scorching heat and a public transport strike. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
A teacher walks along an empty hallway as classes shift to online mode due to the hot weather at the Justo Lukban Elementary School in Manila, Philippines on Monday, April 29, 2024. Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days as an emergency step due to the scorching heat and a public transport strike. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
A worker reaches out for his water jug as he takes a break during a hot day in Manila, Philippines on Monday, April 29, 2024. Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days as an emergency step due to the scorching heat and a public transport strike. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
A vendor prepares his umbrella as hot days continue in Manila, Philippines on Monday, April 29, 2024. Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days as an emergency step due to the scorching heat and a public transport strike. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
A cat rests along an empty hallway as classes shift to online modes due to the hot weather at the Justo Lukban Elementary School in Manila, Philippines on Monday, April 29, 2024. Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days as an emergency step due to the scorching heat and a public transport strike. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
People walk under a shade during a hot day in Manila, Philippines on Monday, April 29, 2024. Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days as an emergency step due to the scorching heat and a public transport strike. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
A teacher arranges papers at an empty classroom as classes shifted to online mode at the Justo Lukban Elementary School in Manila, Philippines on Monday, April 29, 2024. Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days as an emergency step due to the scorching heat and a public transport strike. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
A teacher arranges papers at an empty classroom at the Justo Lukban Elementary School in Manila, Philippines on Monday, April 29, 2024. Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days as an emergency step due to the scorching heat and a public transport strike. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
FILE - A woman walks through spay water for cooling down from hot temperatures in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 9, 2024. Southeast Asia is coping with a weekslong heat wave as record-high temperatures have led to school closings in several countries and urgent health warnings throughout the region. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)
FILE - Women eat ice cream in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 9, 2024. Southeast Asia is coping with a weekslong heat wave as record-high temperatures have led to school closings in several countries and urgent health warnings throughout the region. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)
