Virginia Attorney General Rejects School District’s Proposal to Arm Teachers

by
posted on September 25, 2018
judges-gavel.jpg (5)

At a meeting in July, Lee County school board members took steps to arm school staff as “special conservators of the peace.” In a surprising rejection, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DOJ) turned down the request by Superintendent Brian Austin, according to the Associated Press.

 The DOJ referred the district to an advisory opinion given by Attorney General Mark Herring, who deemed the plan unlawful under a questionable reading of the applicable statutes. 

 In a statement released on the Office of the Attorney General’s website, Herring stated, “Our kids deserve a safe, secure learning environment when they come to school, and adding guns and armed, unqualified personnel to our classrooms is incompatible with that goal.

 “The law already provides several options for employing armed security personnel with full law enforcement training, but the law doesn’t allow for the arming of unqualified personnel, and for good reason. The introduction of unqualified personnel with guns raises the likelihood of a tragic accident, or potentially catastrophic confusion during an emergency,” he explained.

Herring went onto explain that the General Assembly has laid out various ways in which schools may employ trained, armed security. Notably, the opinion doesn’t mention the broad authority given to schools by the General Assembly to authorize individuals to carry “weapons,” including firearms, as part of a school sponsored program.

 Austin has stated the district is working with legal counsel to review its options.

 The official opinion put out by Herring can be read here.

Latest

19926128205 46Ede87cea K
19926128205 46Ede87cea K

An Inside View of Mexico City’s Violence

So many lives in Mexico City have been touched by criminal violence, but none of them blame American gun companies.

The Armed Citizen® March 14, 2025

True stories of the right to keep and bear arms

NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging U.S. Supreme Court To Hear Challenge To California Gun-Show Restrictions

In January, the NRA filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to grant certiorari in a challenge to California laws.

NRA CEO Receives Sellmark Heritage Award

The Sellmark Heritage Award is presented annually to leaders who demonstrate unwavering dedication to protecting and advancing the values that define America’s outdoor heritage.

Friends Of NRA Gun Of The Year: Henry Lever Action Supreme 5.56/.223

A special edition of Henry’s groundbreaking Lever Action Supreme is the Friends of NRA Gun of the Year for 2025.

Trainers Are The Backbone Of The NRA

NRA coaches, instructors and training counselors play a truly critical role in educating law-abiding Americans on the safe and effective use of firearms.



Get the best of America's 1st Freedom delivered to your inbox.