Local superintendent wary of concealed carry bill
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — With a bill that would allow teachers to carry guns in class one step away from becoming law, Johnson City’s school superintendent expressed reservations about concealed carry coming to campus.
“I just feel like very clearly that we have school resource officers and levels of security in our buildings, keeping doors locked and the things that we do to help keep our school a safe place for our students and our staff members,” Superintendent Steve Barnett told News Channel 11. “I’ll leave that policing to the police.”
The bill, which passed the Senate this week, would allow teachers who already have a concealed carry permit to bring a gun into the classroom.
“You’re going to have parents that say that they do think it’s a good idea. You’re going to have community members and parents that think it’s a very bad idea,” “I just think very controversial,” Barnett said.
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If the bill passes the House, several steps would be required before a teacher could carry in class.
School systems would first have to sign an agreement with local law enforcement authorizing concealed carry in schools.
Then individual teachers would need written approval from three people: their principal, their superintendent, and their local sheriff or chief of police.
When asked if he would approve a teacher’s request to carry, Barnett said it was too early to comment, adding that the school board and city commission would have to weigh in on the matter before it got to his desk.
Even if the law passes and local law enforcement agrees to let teachers carry, Barnett said he still has concerns.
‘”I just think that it would limit their (teachers’) interaction with students,” Barnett said. “And is it necessary when we’re trying to keep students safe? And I know that has to be the intent. School resource officers to me are the better option in our schools.”
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Though he said he could understand why districts that struggle to fill SRO positions might want teachers to be armed, in Johnson City’s case he thinks guns might make schools less safe.
“I don’t want firearms on our campus unless it’s someone who’s trained like our school resource officers who are Johnson City Police Department officers,” Barnett said. “They are well-trained. Continuous training, not just once a year. They’re trained on an ongoing basis.”
The bill requires teachers to undergo 40 hours of training each year in order to carry.
News Channel 11 reached out to the state Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission for comment and to find out what training for teachers would entail, but it declined to comment.
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