In 2017, West Liberty-Salem High School in Salem, Ohio, became one of the many schools affected by a shooting. While the only visible reminder of the tragedy are the bullet holes in a bathroom wall, the emotional scars still linger.
Principal Greg Johnson explained, “The good news was that no one died, but the trauma was already in their minds.” In that bathroom, he and fellow principal Andy McGill rushed to help a student who had been shot twice, with the shooter just a few feet away. Thankfully, McGill was able to talk the shooter, another student, into putting down the gun.
After the shooting, Johnson and McGill worked hard to improve the school’s security. They added bulletproof glass, better exits, and a school resource officer. However, they decided against arming teachers or staff.
In the U.S., 15 states allow school staff to carry guns. In Ohio, the number of school districts allowing teachers to be armed has grown significantly in the past year, with 14% of districts now allowing it, according to the Ohio School Safety Center.
About 50 miles south of Salem, in the Mad River Local School District near Dayton, around 20 teachers have been given guns. Their identities are kept confidential for safety reasons. The district’s superintendent, Chad Wyen, is the only armed staff member publicly known. He keeps his firearm locked in a cabinet that only he can access using a code.
Wyen explained that having guns nearby, rather than on teachers, is meant to make sure no one can get to them without permission. He said, “We have to be ready, just in case.”
The goal of having armed staff is to provide extra help in case of an emergency, since the district only has one police officer for eight schools. Wyen believes it’s necessary because police may not arrive in time to stop a threat.
So far, the district has been lucky, with no students bringing guns to school. Many parents are happy with the added security.
One teacher, who remains anonymous for safety reasons, shared that she understands how a shooter could be a student she knows. “At that point, they’re not my student anymore. They’re a threat, and I’m stopping them to save other lives,” she said. She added that, if needed, she would be willing to die to protect her students.
When asked about the concerns some people have with teachers carrying guns, the teacher said, “I get why they feel that way. I was nervous about guns too at first, but now I see them as a tool for protecting myself and others.”
