Toppenish School District that arms staff is ‘doing the right thing’
Feb 28, 2018, 1:57 PM
(File, Associated Press)
(File, Associated Press)
The superintendent of the Toppenish School District says Gov. Jay Inslee has not reached out to discuss the district’s policy that allows some administrators to carry firearms.
Is President Trump brave enough to take on the NRA?
“He hasn’t yet, but he probably will once he hears this,” Toppenish Superintendent John Cerna told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson on Feb. 28.
Or, he might not. Because, as we well know at this point, Inslee doesn’t believe arming teachers or school staff is the proper step to ending school shootings.
“I have listened to the people who would be affected by that,” Inslee told President Donald Trump on Feb. 26. “I have listened to the biology teachers and they don’t want to do that at any percentage. I have listened to the first-grade teachers that don’t want to be pistol-packing first-grade teachers. I have listened to law enforcement who have said they don’t want to train teacher as law enforcement agencies which take about six months.
“I just think this is a circumstance where we need to listen that educators should educate and not be foisted upon this responsibility of packing heat in first-grade classes.”
Toppenish teacher leaves gun behind
It’s possible that Gov. Inslee remembers the incident last year when a staff member at a Toppenish elementary school “left a handgun in a restroom,” as the Yakima Herald reported.
According to the Herald, the staff member, who was one of more than a dozen who is allowed carry a gun at school at the time, hung up the gun while he was using the bathroom. He reportedly left it for a short time before realizing it. The Herald reports no disciplinary action was taken. It was the first time someone had “left a gun unattended.”
Police: Georgia teacher fires gun in classroom; no one hurt
Cerna says “until somebody comes up with a better solution” the district is “doing the right thing.” He believes Toppenish is one of the safest districts in the state.
Listen to the entire conversation with Cerna here.
Chris Reykdal, the Washington state superintendent of public instruction, said earlier this week that increasing gun density will only increase gun-related deaths. Maybe those opposed to arming teachers should point to forgetfulness.
