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 of the student believes this settlement will inspire change in how schools assess threats and interact with law enforcement. As part of the settlement, the school will implement training for staff to ensure they report only valid threats and can differentiate between harmless comments and genuine dangers. A federal judge is scheduled to hold a final hearing on the settlement on July 1. This case comes in the wake of new Tennessee legislation that classifies threats of mass violence at schools as felonies.

The family's attorney noted that this is the first known monetary settlement in a case challenging this law, highlighting the need for responsible threat assessment practices.