Chattanooga School Settlement: $100K for Student Arrested Over Threats
- Chattanooga Preparatory School in Tennessee will pay $100,000 to the family of an 11-year-old boy to settle a federal lawsuit.
- The student, referred to as Junior, overheard a conversation between two other students.
- As part of the settlement, Chattanooga Preparatory School agreed to implement training on handling threats of mass violence at school.
Chattanooga Preparatory School will pay $100,000 to settle a lawsuit involving an autistic 11-year-old student wrongly accused of making school threats. The school reported the boy to police, leading to his handcuffing during a family dinner. This lawsuit highlights the critical need for proper training on handling school threats, ensuring that innocuous statements are not misconstrued as imminent violence. The settlement includes updated training on threat assessment. This case, now featured in News Directory 3, also raises questions about Tennessee’s approach to school threat laws and potential legal ramifications. A federal judge will hold a final hearing on July 1. Discover what’s next for school threat protocols in Tennessee.
Tennessee School Settles lawsuit Over Student Threat Reporting
Updated May 29, 2025
Chattanooga Preparatory School in Tennessee will pay $100,000 to the family of an 11-year-old boy to settle a federal lawsuit. The suit claimed the school wrongly reported the student, who is autistic, to police for allegedly making a threat of mass violence at school.
The incident occurred early in the school year. The student, referred to as Junior, overheard a conversation between two other students. he interjected, leading to a report that he had threatened a school shooting. Although administrators initially allowed him to return to school, a sheriff’s deputy later handcuffed him at a family dinner.
As part of the settlement, Chattanooga Preparatory School agreed to implement training on handling threats of mass violence at school. This includes reporting only “valid” threats and distinguishing between innocuous statements and imminent violence.
Torri, Junior’s mother, described the settlement as “bittersweet.” She said her son still experiences fear when he sees police cars, a reminder of his detention. She requested that only her first name be used to protect her son’s identity. Junior’s case was dismissed in juvenile court in December.
Torri expressed satisfaction that school employees will receive training to improve their handling of similar situations in the future. The family’s lawyer, Justin Gilbert, hopes the settlement will prompt lawmakers to address the law concerning school threats and make necessary changes.
“Monetary figures — for better or for worse — can be a driver for policy change, and sometimes legislators can react to that, school districts can react to that,” Gilbert said.
What’s next
A federal judge will hold a final hearing on the settlement on July 1. Advocates hope this case will lead to revisions in Tennessee’s approach to school threat laws and prevent unnecessary arrests and expulsions.