Chatt Prep to pay $100k over wrongful threat report involving student with autism

Chattanooga Preparatory School will pay $100,000 to settle a lawsuit claiming they wrongfully reported a student with autism to police for an alleged threat of mass violence. The family believes this settlement will inspire change in how schools assess threats and includes commitments for staff training to distinguish between valid threats and harmless statements. This settlement follows recent changes to Tennessee state law, which made threats of mass violence a felony. The family's attorney, Justin Gilbert, emphasized the importance of the settlement, stating it could lead to better threat assessment practices. Gilbert also noted that this is the first known monetary settlement in a case challenging this law.

A federal judge will hold a final hearing on the settlement on July 1, highlighting the case's significance in shaping future policies. The family hopes this outcome will encourage other schools to adopt similar training and assessment protocols.