New Tennessee Law Allows Teachers to Carry Guns in Schools—See Where Your State Stands

A look at the different laws around the United States, and how parents and teachers feel about the issue.

Fact checked by Sarah Scott

School violence is an issue that keeps many parents up at night. But parents, activists, and lawmakers don’t all agree on how to best protect students and faculty. Regardless, guns at school is in the news again due to Tennessee passing Senate Bill 1325, a law allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons.

“The Volunteer State” is far from the first in the nation to pass such a law. In fact, at time of writing, only 16 states expressly prohibit teachers from carrying a firearm.

There are federal laws in place that prohibit guns in school zones, according to the Giffords Law Center. In 1990, Congress passed the Gun-Free School Zones Act (GFSZA), which prohibits the knowing possession of a firearm in a school zone. However, a person who is licensed by the state to carry a firearm—such as a law enforcement officer or school security guard—is an exception to this law.

Wondering where your state stands with regards to permitting teachers to carry guns on school grounds? Below is a look at who is allowed to carry a gun in each state, per the National Conference of State Legislators.

Where Teachers Are Prohibited From Carrying Guns

• Alabama

• California

• Delaware

• Illinois

• Louisiana

• Maine

• Maryland

• Nebraska

• New York

• North Carolina

• North Dakota

• Rhode Island

• Virginia

• Washington

• West Virginia

• Wisconsin

• District of Columbia

Anyone With Permission From School Authority Can Carry in These States

• Alaska

• Arizona

• Connecticut

• Georgia

• Iowa

• Kansas

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• Minnesota

• Montana

• New Jersey

• Nevada

• Ohio

• Oregon

• South Carolina

• Texas

• Utah

• Vermont

Concealed Carry License Holders Only May Carry Firearms in These States

• Alabama, Oregon, and Utah (require concealed carry permit)

• Idaho, Indiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma (require concealed carry permit and permission from school authority)

School Employees Other Than Security May Carry in These States

• Idaho and Kansas (require concealed carry permit and permission from school authority)

• Florida and South Dakota (require permission from school authority and training)

• Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming (require permit, permission from school authority, and training)

States Where School Security Officers Can Carry

• Alabama

• California

• Colorado

• Delaware

• Georgia

• Idaho

• Illinois

• Indiana

• Maryland

• Michigan

• Mississippi

• North Dakota

• New Mexico

• Nevada

• New York

• Ohio

• Oklahoma

• Rhode Island

• South Dakota

• Tennessee

• Texas

• Washington

• West Virginia

Meanwhile, only students are prohibited from carrying firearms in school zones in New Hampshire, and no laws on the issue exist in Hawaii. Finally, most states allow law enforcement to carry weapons in school zones.

Should Teachers Carry Guns at School?

Opinions on whether teachers should be armed in schools vary.

One February 2023 study found that most parents with school-aged kids in New York feel that security officers and law enforcement officials—not educators—should be the only people armed on school campuses.

A previous study published in 2023 determined that more than half of teachers believe arming educators makes schools less safe, while only 20% feel this measure would make schools safer.

Gloria Pan, Senior Vice President of MomsRising, a Seattle-based advocacy group, asserts to Parents, “Allowing teachers to carry guns isn’t a meaningful or effective solution.” She emphasizes that the data proves most teachers don’t want to carry guns, and adds, “They don’t want there to be guns in their classrooms at all.”

There can be serious risks, says Pan. “Children can gain access to improperly stored firearms. School employees can fire weapons accidentally. Teachers can misuse a firearm during a mental health crisis," explains Pan. "These aren't hypotheticals." Pan points to research from the Giffords Law Center, which found that in the last five years, there have been nearly 100 incidents of the mishandling of guns in schools.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Concealed Carry Association shares this statement with Parents, provided by Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of government affairs for the USCCA:

“The USCCA supports SB 1325 and commends the Tennessee legislature for putting forward solutions to protect our children. School campuses should be secure environments, requiring multiple and overlapping layers of protection against violence. Authorizing qualified teachers and staff to carry on school grounds should be part of a comprehensive security plan.”

It's a heartbreaking debate to have as we are trying to figure out how to keep kids safe from gun violence. Teachers have to consider arming themselves with weapons, when, in a perfect world, they would only be focused on arming the next generation with knowledge.

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Read the original article on Parents.