CHARLESTON, WV (WCHS) — House Bill 2187 would allow elementary and secondary school teachers, administrators, and support personnel to carry concealed firearms and serve as school safety officers. The bill claims to increase school security, but not all teachers, including Leah Devine, believe this is a good idea.
“I am opposed to House Bill 2187 that will have staff carrying concealed weapons in our school because I think it could be dangerous to our staff and students,” Devine told the committee.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, at least nine other states specifically exempt school employees from their policy regarding firearms on school grounds.
The West Virginia bill states that approved employees can carry other concealed weapons such as pepper spray and stun guns, but Devine is concerned about how this will play out.
“I could see pepper spray or stun gun having similar issues while not quite as drastic,” she told me. “Again, if a student grabs those, think about pepper spraying a room or if one of those accidentally discharged with the pepper spray to cause a larger problem.”
Stacey Strawderman, a teacher, stated that she cannot imagine being responsible for the lives of her students.
“I can’t imagine becoming face to face with a shooter that’s a child,” Strawderman went on. “How do you shoot a child or a teenager? “That would be very stressful.”
Despite behavioural health screening and state funding for training, Strawderman believes there are other ways to address the issue of gun control in schools.
“I believe we need mental health care. We’ve been asking for that for years, especially for our students,” she explained. “I think if we state that early, that it continues throughout their lives.”
