

Studies and experts say it's not a good idea to arm teachers "They can be plain clothes, but some schools may not be able to do that." "The best thing is to have a police officer in the schools," he said. This is up to a local school board," DeWine said, adding that some schools might have security officers or other plans to deter or counter an active shooter scenario.
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When armed, a teacher's first responsibility is to act as a first responder, Weinman said: "She will be required to abandon her students and respond to whatever threat may be in the building at a moment's notice."īut the governor had previously signaled his support for the bill, and he confirmed it in an interview on Sunday with local TV station WFMJ. The FOP's Mike Weinman testified relaxing Ohio's regulations would create a jumble of school district requirements and result in inadequately trained teachers who will then confront a confusion of roles. Its opponents also include Moms Demand Action and the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio. "House Bill 99 will make Ohio's students less safe in their schools," the organizations said in a joint statement. In more than a year of debate on the legislation, witnesses spoke to oppose it more than 360 times, while around 20 people spoke in favor.ĭeWine says the law will give schools an optionīoth the Ohio Federation of Teachers and Ohio Education Association had urged DeWine to veto the bill, saying it is "dangerous and irresponsible" to put more guns in schools in the hands of people who aren't adequately trained. Of the few people who testified in favor of the bill in the last hearing on the legislation, one was the CEO of S.T.A.R.T, a company Hoagland founded to advise schools and other entities on security and crisis preparation, as the Ohio Capital Journal notes.

Frank Hoagland, who calls it "a common-sense, proactive step in securing our schools from the threat of an active shooter." But now the 24-hour requirement is becoming state law. The Ohio Supreme Court sided with the parents last summer. A group of local parents sued, saying teachers should have peace officer training before they can bring a gun to work. The legislation is similar to a controversial policy adopted by a school district in Madison Township, Ohio, in 2018 to make it easier for staff to carry guns. "DeWine, who had campaigned for gun restrictions after the mass shooting in Dayton in 2019, said signing this bill is part of an overall plan to harden school security," according to the Statehouse News Bureau.Ī contested approach gets Ohio's legal backing Instead of more than 700 hours of training that's currently required, school staff who want to be armed would get training that "shall not exceed" 24 hours, House Bill 99 states. The new law dramatically reduces the amount of training a teacher must undergo before they can carry a gun in a school safety zone. Backers say the policy will make schools safer, but critics say that's not the case, citing experts' analysis. Mike DeWine signed a bill on Monday allowing teachers to carry guns in class after 24 hours of training, over opposition from teachers and a police group. Editor's note: This story was updated after the governor signed the bill.
