Utah teachers can bring guns to school
9/9/03 -- School administrators in Utah are grappling with a new law that allows school staff -- including teachers, janitors, and bus drivers -- to carry guns on campus.
The law overturns 1995 legislation designating a 1,000-foot gun-free zone around schools.
Proponents of the measure argue that allowing school staff to carry concealed guns will make schools safer.
"Suppose a criminal is stalking you or your family. Would you feel safe putting a sign in front of your home saying, 'this home is a gun-free zone'?" asks John Lott of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. Lott, author of More Guns, Less Crime, claims there have been fewer multiple-victim shootings in states that allow people to carry concealed weapons.
The Utah School Boards Association (USBA) opposed the legislation. "We don't think there's any place in our buildings for guns. I don't think there are hardly any school districts in the state that are in favor of it," says USBA Executive Director Winston Gleave.
USBA attorneys helped develop a model policy for school boards that want to allow school personnel to carry guns, Gleave says, but basically USBA's advice is "you have to conform to the law, even if you disagree with it."
USBA's policy states: "Even though a person may have the right under the law to carry a weapon onto school premises, this is not an unlimited right, and the school district retains authority to closely monitor and respond to improper activities relating to weapons."
The Jordan school district recently informed teachers that although they will have the right to carry a concealed weapon, they will be in breach of contract if they fire it unlawfully and will be subject to disciplinary sanctions, which could include termination.
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| Reproduced with permission from the 2003 issue of School Board News. Copyright © 2003, National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect positions of NSBA. This article may be printed out and photocopied for individual or educational use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise transmitted or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6789. |