“Judge Orders Richmond School Board to Release Report on Huguenot High School Shooting”

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Judge Rules School Board Must Release Report by 1 p.m. Tomorrow

In a significant ruling, a Richmond Circuit Court judge has ordered the Richmond City School Board to release a report regarding a shooting at Huguenot High School’s graduation ceremony. The incident, which occurred on June 6, 2023, resulted in the tragic deaths of two individuals and injuries to seven others. The report, which was produced as a result of both internal and external investigations, must be released by 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 17.

The shooting took place outside Richmond’s Altria Theater shortly after the graduation ceremony had concluded. Graduating senior Shawn Jackson and his stepfather, Lorenzo Smith, lost their lives in the incident. Following the tragic event, the school district initiated investigations to determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting. As a result of the internal investigation, certain policies were revised.

Initially, the school district had planned to release an executive summary of the report from the external investigation but refused to release the full report, citing attorney-client privilege. However, Judge W. Reilly Marchant rejected this argument, stating that not all communications between attorney and client fall within the boundaries of attorney-client privilege. The judge also highlighted that a lawyer acting primarily as an investigator, rather than a legal advisor, does not deserve privilege protection in connection with an internal corporate investigation.

Furthermore, the judge emphasized that the report cannot be exempt from mandatory release simply because it contains information that the owner would prefer not to disclose. While the school board is allowed to redact certain minimal parts of the report that were determined to be legal advice, any potential consequences resulting from the report’s release are not grounds for exemption.

In response to the judge’s ruling, several members of the Richmond School Board and school officials have expressed their support for transparency. Superintendent Jason Kamras and board chair Stephanie Rizzi have both welcomed the release of the report. School board member Shondra Harris-Muhammad, who initially proposed commissioning the external investigation, stated that she is pleased with the judge’s decision and believes that addressing adult behaviors within the school system is crucial for improving student outcomes.

Jonathan Young, another school board member, voiced his support for the report’s release, stating that stakeholders in the Richmond Public School system have the right to know how the district failed them, ultimately leading to the tragic incident.

As this story develops, stay tuned for updates from 8News..