Hearing Set for today in Lawsuit for Release of ‘Manifesto’ in Nashville School Shooting

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Judicial Watch announced that oral argument is set for Thursday, October 30, 2025, 1 p.m. CT, 2 p.m. ET, before a three-judge panel in the Tennessee Court of Appeals in the public records lawsuit against the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County for records related to the March 2023 shooting at The Covenant School in Tennessee, including the reported “manifesto” written by the female shooter. To view the proceedings online, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3_c9NQE-gI

Judicial Watch filed an open records lawsuit on behalf of retired Hamilton County Sheriff James Hammond and the Tennessee Firearms Association, Inc. (“TFA”) (Hammond et al. v. Metropolitan Govt of Nashville et al. (No. 23-0538-III)). The court later consolidated Judicial Watch’s lawsuit with several others related to release of public records from The Covenant School shooting.

Audrey Elizabeth Hale (also known as Aiden Hale), a 28-year-old trans artist, was killed by police after opening fire on the private Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, killing three adults and three children. 

The resolution of the case has been delayed over disputes about whether the school and school/victims’ parents could intervene and prevent the release of the “manifesto” and other investigatory material.

“The transgender agenda should not interfere with the public’s right to know information that may possibly help Americans avoid future tragedies like the one in Nashville,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

In August 2025, in a related case against the U.S. Department of Justice, Judicial Watch received 485 pages of the “manifesto.” The records detail the shooter’s violent thoughts, the targeting and planning of the shooting attack on The Covenant School, and transgender-related obsessions. 

Judicial Watch previously obtained 112 pages of records in April 2025, and an additional 231 pages in June 2025—bringing the total number of pages released through this lawsuit to 828. The full “manifesto” consists of 2,056 pages, and the FBI is continuing to produce additional pages to Judicial Watch.

The lawsuit also seeks materials provided to the FBI by local law enforcement. The FBI is withholding these documents, claiming they are categorically exempt from disclosure under FOIA. Judicial Watch continues to press for their public release.