Montpelier, Ohio school district votes to allow custodians at schools to be armed

jimpeel · January 14, 2013, 04:44 PM

On the heels of the parents of Newtown, CT demanding the schools CONTINUE TO BE STAFFED BY POLICE, and FALL RIVER, MA FOLLOWING SUIT, we have this from Montpelier, OH.

SOURCE

Quote:

“The Montpelier Exempted Village Schools Board of Education has approved the carrying of handguns by its custodial staff. The 5-0 vote of the board Wednesday night to allow handgun training for four custodians to be able to tote weapons at the K-12 campus at the Williams County school came after last month’s deadly shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. School officials say that having armed personnel – believed to be the first for any school system in Ohio – is designed to thwart incidents of violence and prevent what happened in Newtown, Conn., from occurring here. ‘Sitting back and doing nothing and hoping it doesn’t happen to you is just not good policy anymore. There is a need for schools to beef up their security measures,” Supertendent Jamie Grime told The Blade today. ‘Having guns in the hands of the right people are not a hindrance. They are a means to protect.’”

EDIT: for those who have not lived in MA the statement by the one guy who said ...

Quote:

"I was praising the mayor for making that decision absolutely. I’d rather see the police officers at school than sitting at a constructions site," said Michael Pais.

might not make any sense.

When I lived there I asked a police officer why they use sworn officers at construction sites. That is the law there and was apparently driven by the unions that there has to be a police officer at construction sites when the streets are being torn up, etc.

lcpiper · January 14, 2013, 05:24 PM

Federal law says you can't have guns on school grounds unless the school and state work some law/agreement, whatever. Some states have passed their own laws prohibiting guns on school grounds, but for those that haven't this is an immediate option.

I'll tell you want I find most heartening and in really doesn't have anything to do with the guns. It's the fact that the school themselves are taking action, on their own, they are doing something. Beats the hell out of crying to the state and the feds to do something for them. This is a positive thing. Imagine this, people trusting their school staff to be responsible, who'da thunk it?

CowTowner · January 14, 2013, 07:33 PM

Well, they're trusting the janitorial staff, not the teachers.
That says something else altogether.

jimpeel · January 14, 2013, 10:17 PM

It says that they want those who are mobile during their work day to be armed so they are not in a fixed position as the teachers would be.

Alabama Shooter · January 14, 2013, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Federal law says you can't have guns on school grounds unless the school and state work some law/agreement, whatever. Some states have passed their own laws prohibiting guns on school grounds, but for those that haven't this is an immediate option.

Not exactly. It says you have to have a in-state permit from the state and be in that state. Alabama for example makes no distinction. So teachers can already carry in schools here if they want to.

Willie Sutton · January 14, 2013, 10:45 PM

Well, they're trusting the janitorial staff, not the teachers.

"Probably" unique to this particular school and it's particular staff. Bet the custodians are a group that shoots together on weekends anyhow and who approached the school with a proposal. Likely already CCW holders.

With that said, it's not a bad tactical choice. They are mobile within the school, are not "trapped in a classroom", it takes away the "kids might access them" argument, and let's face it: Working men are probably more likely to be able to, well.. "work with their hands using dangerous tools" than your average school teacher.

Kudus.

Willie

.

johnwilliamson062 · January 14, 2013, 11:55 PM

In Ohio you need permission from superintendent to carry a gun on school property(the law that was already passed). This includes hunting guns. For this reason a surprising number of Ohio faculty in rural areas have permission to keep hunting guns in vehicles in Ohio(I have heard since all this came to pass).

Also, if you think about it, janitors have access to locked areas students do not, are generally not in an area an attack would start in, so they are able to respond, and are not in a position that requires they be involved in discipline unless a student becomes violent.

Public school janitors in Ohio are mostly union and make pretty good money.You might be surprised at who you run into cleaning Ohio Schools.

You can be sure the school board will be receiving some nasty e-mails from around the world, so they might enjoy getting a few nice ones.

Al Norris · January 15, 2013, 06:19 PM

A quick look finds Gail Dick : [email protected]

Please, be respectful if you decide to write.

January 14, 2013, 05:24 PM	#2
lcpiper Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2011 Posts: 1,405	Federal law says you can't have guns on school grounds unless the school and state work some law/agreement, whatever. Some states have passed their own laws prohibiting guns on school grounds, but for those that haven't this is an immediate option. I'll tell you want I find most heartening and in really doesn't have anything to do with the guns. It's the fact that the school themselves are taking action, on their own, they are doing something. Beats the hell out of crying to the state and the feds to do something for them. This is a positive thing. Imagine this, people trusting their school staff to be responsible, who'da thunk it? __________________ Colt M1911, AR-15 \| S&W Model 19, Model 27\| SIG P238 \| Berreta 85B Cheetah \| Ruger Blackhawk .357MAG, Bearcat "Shopkeeper" .22LR\| Remington Marine Magnum SP 12GA., Model 700 SPS .223

January 14, 2013, 07:33 PM	#3
CowTowner Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2007 Location: Cowtown of course! Posts: 1,747	Well, they're trusting the janitorial staff, not the teachers. That says something else altogether. __________________ NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, Home Firearms Safety, Pistol and Rifle Instructor *“Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life......”* President John F. Kennedy

January 14, 2013, 10:17 PM	#4
jimpeel Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 1999 Location: Longmont, CO, USA Posts: 4,530	It says that they want those who are mobile during their work day to be armed so they are not in a fixed position as the teachers would be. __________________ Gun Control: The premise that a woman found in an alley, raped and strangled with her own pantyhose, is morally superior to allowing that same woman to defend her life with a firearm. "Science is built up with facts, as a house is with stones. But a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house." - Jules Henri Poincare "Three thousand people died on Sept. 11 because eight pilots were killed" -- former Northwest Airlines pilot Stephen Luckey

January 14, 2013, 11:55 PM	#7
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	In Ohio you need permission from superintendent to carry a gun on school property(the law that was already passed). This includes hunting guns. For this reason a surprising number of Ohio faculty in rural areas have permission to keep hunting guns in vehicles in Ohio(I have heard since all this came to pass). Also, if you think about it, janitors have access to locked areas students do not, are generally not in an area an attack would start in, so they are able to respond, and are not in a position that requires they be involved in discipline unless a student becomes violent. Public school janitors in Ohio are mostly union and make pretty good money.You might be surprised at who you run into cleaning Ohio Schools. You can be sure the school board will be receiving some nasty e-mails from around the world, so they might enjoy getting a few nice ones. Last edited by johnwilliamson062; January 15, 2013 at 12:06 AM.

January 14, 2013, 10:45 PM	#6
Willie Sutton Junior member Join Date: January 26, 2012 Posts: 1,066	Well, they're trusting the janitorial staff, not the teachers. "Probably" unique to this particular school and it's particular staff. Bet the custodians are a group that shoots together on weekends anyhow and who approached the school with a proposal. Likely already CCW holders. With that said, it's not a bad tactical choice. They are mobile within the school, are not "trapped in a classroom", it takes away the "kids might access them" argument, and let's face it: Working men are probably more likely to be able to, well.. "work with their hands using dangerous tools" than your average school teacher. Kudus. Willie .

January 15, 2013, 06:19 PM	#8
Al Norris Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 29, 2000 Location: Rupert, Idaho Posts: 9,660	A quick look finds Gail Dick : [email protected] Please, be respectful if you decide to write.