Running head: LITERARY REVIEW: GUNS CARRIED BY TEACHERS 1

Literary Review: Guns Carried by Teachers

University of Texas at El Paso
Brett Laird






LITERARY REVIEW: GUNS CARRIED BY TEACHERS 2


Abstract

This paper will examine the four questions presented regarding the information
surrounding the topic of whether or not school-teachers should be allowed to carry
guns on school campuses. The four questions include: What is the current law
regarding teachers carrying guns in school? What is the process for teachers in
Texas to carry guns in schools? What is the process behind receiving a concealed
handgun license in Texas? Are there schools in Texas that allow teachers to conceal
carry guns? The information presented is retrieved from secondary and primary
sources and regards the questions conveyed. Key words include: Concealed
Handgun License (CHL), Handguns, firearms.







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Literary Review: Guns Carried by Teachers

The debate about whether teachers should be allowed to carry guns in Texas
has been an issue widely discussed. In Texas, the discussion has been under the
spotlight for the most recent years. This paper will examine and provide
information about four questions regarding the subject of teachers carrying guns in
school. The four questions being examined are: What is the current law regarding
teachers carrying guns in school? What is the process for teachers in Texas to carry
guns in schools? What is the process behind receiving a concealed handgun license
in Texas? Are there schools in Texas that allow teachers to conceal carry guns?

What is the Current Law About Teachers Carrying Guns In School?

In Texas concealed carry of a handgun is legal with proper licensing, but even
as a legal concealed handgun carrier, you cannot carry inside of a school in Texas. As
a teacher in Texas, you can be given permission to carry on campus. As stated by
Chammah (2012), Under current Texas law, school districts can grant written
permission for employees to carry firearms on campus. (p. 1). Recently in Texas
there was an addition to the law surrounding concealed carry in schools. The law
that was passed and added was The protection of Texas Children Act. According to
Fischler (2013), Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill Saturday that will allow teachers to
and other school district employees to carry guns inside schools. (p. 1). This law
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was passed in response to the Sandy Hook school shooting in late 2012. The law
would allow for the schools to have one employee per four hundred students. This
employee would be a designated school marshal (Fischler 2013 p.1). The law itself
has specific guidelines that will need to be followed in order for the schools to utilize
it. According to Fischler (2013), The so-called school marshal
will have to be anonymous and plain clothed, and will not be required to answer
Freedom of Information Requests (p. 1). The reason they arent subject to the
Freedom of Information Requests is so that they arent required to answer if
people ask them if they are carrying a gun. This would protect them from being
identified as a person with a gun or as a threat to a shooter. The point of the law is to
have anonymous protection present in schools, and those requirements stated
above would allow for it to be anonymous. The schools do not have to comply with
the law. They have to option to use it, request a peace officer, or opt out. The
districts can choose to opt out of the law and not use it.

What is the process for teachers in Texas to carry guns in schools?

As far as the law goes, regarding the school marshal, Chammah (2012)
stated that, teachers can concealed carry with training and certification(p. 1). The
districts get to add to the process for teachers to carry guns in schools. They can add
requirements in order for teachers to be allowed to conceal carry. Many schools
have certain requirements when allowing teachers to carry guns, and the
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requirements vary. According to Waldron (2013), teachers will not only have to
pass a training course and receive a Concealed Handgun License (CHL), but they
have to be approved by the schools Superintendent; The superintendent stated that
the teachers allowed to carry guns will be approved by herself and the schools.
These requirements come directly from the Levelland Independent School District
30 miles west of Lubbock. Another school district has different requirements. In
Harrold, Texas, the Local school has implemented the use of concealed guns. The
requirements for this program come from the school board itself. According to
McKinley (2008), Teachers have received training from a private security
consultant and will use special ammunition designed to prevent ricocheting (p. 1).
These requirements are all a part of the process for teachers to carry guns in school.

What is the process behind receiving a concealed carry license in Texas?

In Texas you have to go through a required process to receive a Concealed
Handgun License. The course is set by the state of Texas and by the Texas
Department of Public Safety. According to the American Arms LLC (2014), the rules
and regulations include a list of requirements. The person applying for the
Concealed Handgun License has to be at least the age of 21, unless in the armed
forces then it is 18. You may not have a criminal record. You also may not: be under
a protective order, be chemically dependent, be unsound of mind, or be a delinquent
in paying fines, fees, etc You also must be able to legally purchase a handgun. The
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cost of a Concealed Handgun license is another factor when looking at the process.
According to American Arms LLC (2014), the application fee is $140.00 American
U.S dollars. The course itself is an additional fee of $75.00 dollars. When renewing a
concealed handgun license every 5 years, you need to pay the renewal fee of $50.00
dollars. You also need to pay a fingerprint fee of $10.00 dollars and a passport photo
fee of $10.00 dollars. All these required costs come out to a total of $235.00 dollars
to receive your Concealed Handgun License. The process of the actual course is 10
hours of instruction including classroom time and shooting time. You must pass
each of the courses with a minimum of 70%. The shooting portion is 50 rounds of
any caliber greater than .32, at distances of 3 yards, 7 yards, and 15 yards. Once
completed and passed, you submit your proper paper work, and await the arrival of
your new Concealed Handgun License.

Are there schools in Texas that allow teachers to conceal carry guns?

As mentioned previously, there are schools in Texas that allow for teachers to
conceal carry handguns in school. When compared to the large amount of schools in
Texas, the percentage of schools that allow teachers to carry guns is very small.
According to the Associated Press (2012), in the tiny Texas town of Harrold, Texas, the
school has allowed certain teachers to carry guns. The school hosts 103 students ranging
from kindergarten, to 12
th
grade, and is 150 miles north of fort worth. Out of the 50
teachers, a small number of them are allowed to carry guns, concealed of course. The
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reason they allow this is partially because of the fact that the school is 30 minutes away
from the nearest sheriffs office. According to the Associated Press (2012), Harrolds
school board voted unanimously in 2007, to allow employees to carry weapons. (p. 1).
The employees are going to carry guns have to receive crisis intervention training and
training regarding hostage situations. These measures have been put in place in to prevent
attacks like the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut. Instead of having a
security guard, they just armed the staff they already employ.







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Another example of schools with armed teachers is the Canadian Independent
School District. Located in the panhandle of Texas, this school district allows the
concealed carry of firearms by teachers and employees of the school. As stated by Klein
(2013), Another Texas school district has took steps to arm teachers in the name of
protection. (p. 1). When deciding on whether or not to pass the measure, one of the
major concerns was the location the gun would be required to be. Away from the hands
of kids was the best location they could think of. According to Klein (2013), the schools
superintendent stated that The idea that we have moved into a society that the police
have to do everything is ridiculous. And that if your school is known to have a policy
in place where people are protecting children with deadly force, they are not coming to
your school. (p. 1). The district had considered the idea of concealed carry on campus
for years, and there was a strong majority in favor of the program.

There seems to be more support for these kinds of programs in certain cities in
Texas than there is in other locations. In the smaller population cities in central and east
Texas there seems to be more support. In the larger cities in Texas there seems to be less
support. The political views of the city also come into account when examining cities
with or without these programs. In the city of El Paso, at the local schools including the
University of Texas at El Paso, there was a survey conducted. The survey conducted was
one that asked the Teachers, If given the opportunity to conceal carry a gun on campus,
would you? (Laird 2014). The results included some support for the program of carrying

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concealed guns, but the large majority of teachers responded with the answer choice of
no. There seemed to be a rather disapproval for the program in the city of El Paso.

In Texas the debate for the whether or not teachers should be allowed to carry
guns on campus may never come to an end; it may just go on forever. The law states that
with the approval of the school district certain approved teachers are allowed to carry
guns on campuses. The process for teachers to carry guns on campus is one set by the
Texas legislature and the school districts. To receive a Concealed Handgun License, or a
CHL, you must meet the proper requirements and pass the required course. Some schools
however are already taken the steps to allow teachers the option to carry guns on school
campuses.











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References
Fischler, J. (2013). Perry signs 'school marshal' bill; RGV districts to opt out. The
Monitor. Retrieved from
http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/article_c1dee560-d6f9-11e2-aa6c-
0019bb30f31a.html
Waldron, B. (2013). Texas school district to arm teachers. Abc News. Retrieved from
http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-school-district-arm-
teachers/story?id=18823381
McKinley, J. C. (2008). In texas teachers carry books and guns. NewYork Times.
Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/us/29texas.html?pagewanted=all&_
r=0
Chammah, M. (2012). Villalba: Allow Teachers to Carry Concealed Guns. Texas
Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.texastribune.org/2012/12/18/rep-
villalba-allow-teachers-carry-concealed-guns/
How to get a Texas Concealed Handgun License. American Arms LLC. Retrieved from
http://www.americanaarms.com/CHL.htm
Associated Press. (2012). Teachers can carry concealed weapons is tiny texas town.
Associated Press. Retrieved from
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http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/20/teachers-can-carry-concealed-
weapons-in-tiny-texas-town/

Klein, R. (2013). Texas' canadian independent school district votes to allow
teachers to carry guns on campus. Huffington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/17/canadian-school-teacher-
guns_n_3613096.html