JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Duval School Board took up a Second Amendment debate during a workshop meeting Thursday, as it considers whether to allow parents, teachers, and school staff to have guns in their cars while parked on school campuses.
Under current district policy, you could be charged with a misdemeanor if you have a gun in your car in the parking lot of any school campus.
And some board members like Anthony Ricardo (District 1) said they feel like that policy has stripped away parents’ and teachers’ right to self-defense.
“It’s a constitutional right that we’re trampling on with our policy,” said Ricardo.
After a local principal was charged for violating the restriction last month, the school board will now consider allowing school staff, administrators, contractors and parents to legally have a gun in their car in school parking lots, so long as they’re secured or not readily available.
The proposed policy change would not extend to students.
Some like Member Cindy Pearson (District 3) said they’re concerned about easier access to guns on school campus, especially in heated situations like the termination of an employee or after a sporting event.
“The walk from the stands to the parking lot is not a lot of time to cool off,” said Pearson.
But others, like Member April Carney (District 2) said they’re worried about situations like a young teacher being unable to protect herself while driving to or from work.
“At the end of the day, the question is, is it okay for us to be taking rights away from responsible gun owners,” said Carney.
But Pearson countered that even a good guy with access to a gun on campus could lead to disastrous outcomes.
“If that person tries to be a good Samaritan and help out, they could end up shooting the wrong person, they could make a bad decision in a crisis situation, or they themselves could be shot,” said Pearson.
Before the policy comes up for a vote, board members asked for a lot of data, including statistics on how often car break-ins happen on campuses, how often disgruntled parents or staff have been arrested for making threats on campus, and how the policy change might impact the district’s liability insurance.
The earliest a vote could happen would be at the November 9th Board meeting.
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