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A resolution supporting the decision of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools to not allow teachers or staff to carry firearms on campus.
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WHEREAS, the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation on April 23, 2024, to allow certain teachers and school staff to carry handguns on school campuses in Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, this legislation requires the school district's director of schools, the school principal, and the chief of police to approve of each teacher or staff member's carrying of a handgun; and
WHEREAS, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools issued a statement on April 24, 2024, that indicated that it did not intend to change its current practice or allow teachers or staff to carry handguns on campuses in the district; and
WHEREAS, the practice of not arming faculty and staff is favored by parents, teachers, and law enforcement organizations in Tennessee and across the country; and
WHEREAS, a strong majority of Tennessee parents did not agree that schools would be safer if teachers are armed, according to the 2024 Vanderbilt Child Health Poll; and
WHEREAS, the bill approved by the state legislature requires a teacher or staff member to obtain 40 hours of handgun training, considerably less than a certified law enforcement officer; and
WHEREAS, arming teachers and staff would increase the risks of harm to students and adults in schools, whether by misplacing firearms where students or others could access them or by impeding law enforcement trying to respond to an emergency in schools; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Metropolitan Council go on record in agreement with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and its decision that teachers and staff should not be armed while at school.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as supporting the decision made by Metropolitan Nashville P...
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