Texas school board votes to allow teachers to carry guns in school
To deter and protect against school shootings, trustees in the tiny Harrold school district have altered district policy to allow employees to carry concealed weapons if they have a state permit and permission from the administration, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Teachers and staffers can carry firearms beginning this fall if they: have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun; are authorized to carry by the district; receive training in crisis management and hostile situations; and use ammunition designed to minimize the risk of ricochet in school halls. Ken Trump, a school security expert who advises districts nationwide, said HISD is the first district he knows of with such a policy. Trump said he would have advised against allowing teachers to arm themselves, if only because of liability concerns. In the long run, it could have been cheaper and safer to hire security or off-duty police, he said. Texas school districts also have the option of forming their own police force, he noted.
Superintendent David Thweatt said the small community is a 30-minute drive from the sheriff's office, leaving students and teachers without protection. He said the district's lone campus sits 500 feet from heavily trafficked U.S. 287, which could make it a target. “When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that's when all of these shootings started,” he said. “Why would you put it out there that a group of people can't defend themselves? That's like saying ‘sic ’em’ to a dog.” He said that officials researched the policy and considered other options for about a year before approving the policy change last October and noted various other security measures in place. “The naysayers think (a shooting) won't happen here,” he said. “If something were to happen here, I'd much rather be calling a parent to tell them that their child is OK because we were able to protect them.” Under Texas law firearms are prohibited on school campuses “unless pursuant to the written regulations or written authorization of the institution.” Barbara Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), said her organization did not know of another district with such a policy.
Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8/15/08, By Mark Agee
[Editor’s Note: The story has been carried widely—globally, in fact. In an interview on NPR’s “Day to Day” available online below, Mr. Thweatt said the district’s concern over the likely law enforcement response time was based on the importance of this factor in recent school shootings. He again emphasized that permission to possess a weapon on campus will be restricted to staff members individually approved by the school board who undergo extensive training akin to law enforcement training, adding that a teacher’s temperament will be considered in the decision. While many larger schools already employ armed school resource officers or security guards, Mr. Thweatt said he prefers to rely on professional educators and their knowledge of the school environment.
According to the website at the second link, Dr. Ignatius Piazza, millionaire owner of a firearms training facility in Nevada, is praising the school district and offering to provide every HISD teacher with free training worth $2,000 each. "This is just appalling," is the reaction of Alief, Texas school board member and TASB vice president Sarah Winkler, quoted in the Houston Chronicle. "One accident, and I don't know how the school board would live with themselves." Past Legal Clips information on litigation and legislation addressing teachers carrying firearms is available starting at the NSBA link and by following the NSBA links back thereafter. State law in Utah and Idaho already allows school staff to carry concealed weapons.]
NPR interview with Mr. Thweatt
MarketWatch, 8/14/08, By Staff
Houston Chronicle, 8/16/08, By Jennifer Radcliffe
NSBA School Law pages on Katz v. Medford Sch. Dist.