As with metal detectors in schools, I am not pro arming teachers. I am not against arming teachers. I am for informed decisions, not knee-jerk, emotional reactions. This is a subject that should be thoroughly considered and the decision to arm school staff should have input from the teachers themselves, the parents, and everyone involved in the schools--even the students. It should not be a decision made lightly.
I often see calls for arming teachers, usually after a school shooting. What I don't see is learning from past instances of guns mishandled in schools, so this post will cover just a few of those instances. The hope is that it will get people to start thinking things through, and for those who are pro arming teachers, to consider potential implications. Would I want my child to attend a school with armed staff? No. I would not want my child to potentially be in the line of friendly fire, and possibly injured or killed. Too many times, guns have discharged accidentally (I prefer negligently) in schools. My son is now grown so thankfully I don't have that worry.
The incident that sticks out most in my mind is that of Vicky Nelson in Ohio. Nelson was allowed to carry a weapon (a 9mm handgun) as part of the district’s concealed-carry plan to arm administrators and select staff members to protect students from potential gun violence. Yet Nelson, a transportation director in her district, left her handgun in an office where two first graders found the weapon. One of the children, the boy, was her grandson. The boy allegedly pointed the gun at the other first grader, a girl, and told her to put her hands behind her back, she was under arrest. Thankfully the boy did not shoot the girl. But it was what happened after the incident--lies and attempted cover up. Nelson is reported to have stated that she went to the restroom briefly and when she returned, the gun was in plain site, out of the case. Later it came out that she had left the gun unattended with the two students in the room while she drove to a nearby high school, being gone for about half an hour.
Rather than recap the entire incident here, I will post links to the story. Reading them all will give a clearer picture of the incident. It can also give interested persons something to think about when considering arming staff in their schools.
Elementary Students Gained Access to a School Administrator's Gun
School district takes heat after first graders accessed gun in unlocked case
Ohio first-grader points loaded gun at student in school office, email says
First-grader pointed gun at student, email that superintendent forgot says
Read the tweets in this piece by Shannon Watts:
Ohio Faculty Member Left Loaded Gun In School. First Grader Finds It & Threatens Another Child
Teachers need to be vetted thoroughly before hiring. Anyone who works with children should be vetted thoroughly. Thankfully no children were injured under this teacher's care:
Georgia teacher, 23, arrested for starting fire and firing gun in school
And then there are guns left in places where students can, and have, found them. Below are links to guns left where left in bathrooms and other places. This negligence can cost lives--is it an acceptable risk?
Some of these reports go back for some years, others more recent--which gives a glimpse into how this is not a one-off, not a rare occasion. And this is not an exhaustive list, by any means.
And then there's this: "A chemistry teacher who said he would be willing to be trained to carry a weapon to protect students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., has been charged for allegedly leaving a loaded pistol in a public restroom."
Parkland teacher charged with leaving loaded gun in public restroom
Even trained security/law enforcement has had problems:
Gun discharges during struggle between deputy, high school student
Students find cop's gun in bathroom in middle of school day
Missoula school resource officer on leave, left gun in bathroom
Ringgold student finds security guard's loaded gun in bathroom
5th-grader takes security guard’s gun at school, officials say
Girls Find Cop's Gun in Bathroom at Catherine Cook School in Old Town
School officer suspended after leaving gun in middle school restroom
School security officer accidentally shoots maintenance worker in the face
Dania Beach Middle School Worker Brought Gun to School on First Day:
"BSOA security specialist at a "Dania Beach middle school was arrested after he brought a gun to the school in his car on the first day of classes, authorities said."
Details Emerge About School-Shooting Suspect
"The alleged gunman in the Kelly Elementary shooting had a license for his .357 Magnum handgun, according to Carlsbad police."
"Brendan O'Rourke, 41, was a licensed security guard. O'Rourke's security patrol license, or guard card, isn't set to expire until January 2011, according to the California State Department of Affairs."
There are many more instances not even listed; it would take a lot of time to catalog them all. With trained law enforcement and security specialists having these issues, how are we to expect that school personnel will do better? Especially considering all of the links above.
These links don't even go into the possible liabilities should a school employee's weapon cause harm to others, or the myriad other considerations. Humans are fallible. Humans make mistakes. And the idea of arming school employees needs to be thoroughly considered. Some were trained, and were still negligent.
Is arming school employees worth the risk? Why are we not being more proactive before jumping to reactive?
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