A Tennessee judge on Thursday ruled against releasing the writings of the transgender-identifying shooter who killed three children and three adults at a Christian school in Nashville in March 2023. 

In a ruling released at 11:58 p.m. local time, Davidson County Judge I’Ashea Myles said that copyright claims put on the writings of the woman who attacked The Covenant School preempted public records requests. Myles also sided with Metro Nashville Police, who have so far refused to release its investigative file on the shooting, citing an ongoing investigation.

“Based upon Supremacy Clause and conflict preemption, the federal Copyright Act serves as a valid exemption to the Tennessee Public Records Act and thus preempts the disclosure of any original work of authorship in any form created by the assailant [shooter’s last name] which has been collected by Respondent Metro,” Myles wrote. 

The ruling is the latest development in an ongoing legal battle over the writings, which began soon after the school was attacked last year. 

Multiple parties, including the Tennessee Firearms Association, The Tennessean, The Tennessee Star, Republican state legislator Todd Gardenhire, and the National Police Association, sued the city of Nashville last year to gain access to the writings.

A group of parents from The Covenant School later intervened to block release, citing a copyright given by the killer’s parents. 

Myles further said no documents needed to be produced while police say the investigation continues. 

“The release of the remaining documents which are not original, derivative or compilation works created by the assailant is further constrained by the exceptions to disclosure set forth by the General Assembly,” Myles said, writing that, “during the pendency of this investigation and any legal proceedings thereafter, the investigative files of the police and materials therein are not available.”

She said that police “need not disclose any materials which are in its open investigative file and are relevant to any pending or contemplated criminal action until such investigation and any collateral criminal proceedings are complete.”

Her decision is likely to be appealed in court. 

Despite the judge’s ruling, portions of the writings have already been published by both The Daily Wire and The Tennessee Star. This led to Myles threatening to punish Tennessee Star Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy, but she later backed off. 

Last month, The Daily Wire published photos of the attacker’s journal obtained by a source familiar with the investigation. The pages showed a woman who had been consumed by radical transgender theory and conveyed her anger at Christianity and her parents over their traditional views.