Williamson County Schools will not allow teachers to carry guns, despite new Tennessee law

Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read
1

Williamson County Schools will not allow teachers and staff to carry concealed handguns on campus, despite a newly signed Tennessee law that would permit them to do so.

Gov. Bill Lee signed the measure into law Friday evening after it passed at the end of a tumultuous legislative session. The move was met with wide opposition from parents, students, teachers, school leaders and bipartisan gun reform advocates.

In an email to district staff and families, WCS Director Jason Golden said he talked the law over with Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Hughes.

"We have concluded that teachers and staff carrying handguns will not improve school safety on WCS campuses, so I will not authorize teachers or staff being armed at WCS schools," Golden wrote. "The sheriff’s school resource officers who are assigned to every WCS school are trained professionals and are a vital part of our comprehensive school safety plans. We appreciate our ongoing partnership with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office."

Read more: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs into law bill allowing armed teachers

Protesters hold up signs in the rotunda after Tennessee House members voted to pass a bill that would allow public K-12 teachers and staff to carry guns if they meet certain requirements.
Protesters hold up signs in the rotunda after Tennessee House members voted to pass a bill that would allow public K-12 teachers and staff to carry guns if they meet certain requirements.

WCS joins Metro Nashville Public Schools and a handful of other districts around Middle Tennessee that said they will not allow teachers or staff to carry guns. Most others said they were awaiting Lee's signature on the bill to further discuss what they would do.

Teachers and staff who wish to carry concealed handguns on campus must:

  • Maintain a valid Tennessee handgun carry permit

  • Undergo a background check and submit two sets of fingerprints to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The TBI is directed to determine the person's eligibility to carry a firearm and conduct a criminal history check within 30 days, in addition to forwarding the second set of fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a federal background check.

  • Receive psychological or psychiatric certification from a licensed health care provider

  • Complete 40 hours of basic training in school policing

  • Get a sign-off from the school district's director of schools, the school principal and the chief of the "appropriate" law enforcement agency

The bill does not require districts or schools to disclose which people have concealed guns.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Williamson Schools will not allow armed teachers despite Tennessee law