On Monday, two private schools in the Nashville area, Christ Presbyterian Academy and Currey Ingram Academy, were forced to cancel classes due to receiving threats. Coincidentally, on the same day, the Tennessee House of Representatives discussed a bill aiming to enhance the criminal penalties for individuals involved in making such threats.
Rep. Bo Mitchell, a Democrat from Nashville, vividly recalls the moment he hurried to the Covenant School shooting site. His main objective was to provide support to one of his staffers, whose child was a student at the school.
“The parents of the covenant, I mean those parents, sit in a church pew for hours, anxiously waiting for news about their child’s fate,” Mitchell expressed. “It’s disheartening that in our society, they have to endure such uncertainty.”
A few months later, Mitchell received an alert about his own child’s school.
According to Representative Mitchell, the children inside heard the blaring sirens of approximately 200 police officers.
The threat that occurred at MLK Magnet High School in August 2023 turned out to be a hoax. However, for the students and families involved, the emotional impact and trauma felt all too real.
Mitchell expressed that the individuals involved genuinely believed it to be true. He emphasized the lasting impact such a traumatic experience can have on a young child, stating that it will undoubtedly shape their life going forward.
A moment of rare bipartisanship emerged from that fateful day at MLK Magnet.
As Brady and I were leaving the school that day, Speaker Cameron Sexton reached out to me via phone and made a remark, “Bo, you should know that nothing significant will transpire if they uncover the identity of the person responsible for this. It’s merely a misdemeanor,” Mitchell recounted.
The two lawmakers, who typically have differing views, collaborated on a fresh piece of legislation aimed at classifying school threats as a Class E felony. One of the lawmakers expressed his optimism, stating, “I would like to believe that this would serve as a strong deterrent for potential offenders.”
The bill not only targets individuals from outside the school who make threats, but it also holds students within the school accountable for their actions, potentially leading to imprisonment. Mitchell acknowledges this aspect of the bill and acknowledges that the District Attorney has the authority to exercise prosecutorial discretion.
Mitchell stated that individuals would reconsider their decision to make threatening phone calls in the future.
Mitchell is determined to take significant steps towards enhancing school safety. His proposed legislation aims to raise the minimum age for purchasing a firearm from 18 to 21, prohibit high-capacity magazines, and implement a mandatory 14-day waiting period after a firearm purchase. Despite the limited prospects of these bills advancing, Mitchell remains steadfast in his commitment to promoting safer learning environments.
Mitchell believes that this could potentially be a significant initial stride towards implementing more substantial and impactful transformations.
Mitchell expressed his opinion that although the current solution is positive, it does not effectively address the underlying issue of saving the children. He believes that it serves as a positive signal to the rest of the general assembly, indicating their ability to collaborate on challenging matters.
The Tennessee House has successfully passed the Bill, but it still requires consideration in the Tennessee Senate.
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