Friday morning got off to a nerve-rattling start at John Overton High School in Nashville, where students and staff were evacuated after a strong gas odor swept through parts of campus and a staff member suffered a medical emergency while the scene was being cleared. Families pulling into the parking lot found ambulances and fire trucks already on site, and some parents opted to keep their kids in the car instead of sending them inside. About an hour later, after firefighters gave the all-clear, school officials allowed students back into the building.
According to NewsChannel 5, emergency crews responded to the campus after a call came in around 6:30 a.m. Officials later identified the smell as hydrogen sulfide, a sewer gas. While technicians checked the building, students who had been outside were moved into the cafeteria and gym, and Metro Nashville Public Schools warned families to expect bus delays across the Overton cluster.
District spokesperson Sean Braisted told WSMV that the leak was reported slightly earlier, around 6:20 a.m., and confirmed that a staff member experienced a medical emergency during the evacuation. He said the district could not release additional details about that person due to health privacy laws. Parent DeeDee Whitehead told the station she arrived to see emergency crews on campus and said that “one of the teachers was passed out in the grass,” a scene she described as traumatic for students who saw it unfold.
What utility crews found
A spokesperson for Piedmont Gas told WSMV that the leak was located on the roof and that crews are not yet sure what caused it, but said the leak has been fixed. Fire officials determined the odor was coming from outside the building rather than from inside classroom spaces, and students were cleared to return roughly an hour after the initial call.
Parents push for clearer communication
Several parents who spoke with reporters said they were frustrated by how and when information was shared, and some decided to keep their children home after seeing the size of the emergency response. Families are being directed to the school’s website for ongoing updates and to Metro Nashville Public Schools alerts for any transportation changes. Campus and contact details are available at John Overton High School.
Metro Schools officials and first responders say they plan to release additional information as it becomes available. In the meantime, the district is urging families to keep an eye on official MNPS channels for the latest updates.
