Parents sue Williamson County School Board, district attorney over threatening mass violence law

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — The family of a Williamson County Schools student is suing the school board and the district attorney for $300,000, saying their child was unfairly punished for allegedly breaking a relatively new state law that has zero tolerance for threats of mass violence.

In the lawsuit, the family challenged the way the law was applied in Williamson County.

The lawsuit said an assistant principal accused a student, without sharing any evidence, of making some sort of threat. That student reportedly raised his hand like Adolf Hitler and said something about North Korea, so he was arrested.

According to the lawsuit, the word “threat” is not defined in state law, “and the lack of an intent element leaves a child who utters anything that can be even remotely construed as a ‘threat’ vulnerable to criminal prosecution and other dire consequences.”

The sponsor of HB0340, state Rep. Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka), said this law was meant to deter any threatening language at a school or a school activity, and it does not need to change.

“We saw with the Covenant shooting, these things can escalate very quickly if you don’t take the words of an individual seriously, and so the language in the bill, once again, allows the districts the latitude to establish credibility, and if they deem credibility, then the zero tolerance part of the bill takes effect immediately,” Cepicky explained.

Officials from Williamson County Schools told News 2 they do not comment on pending litigation. We also reached out to the law firm representing the family for a comment on the lawsuit, but they are out of the office this week.