Ohio teachers need police training to carry guns in school, court rules

Teachers and staff at Ohio schools cannot carry guns at work without police training or 20 years experience in law enforcement, the state’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, according to a report.

The ruling came from a legal challenge brought against a policy implemented by a district in the state that allowed up to 10 workers with concealed handgun licenses to carry firearms after just 24 hours of active shooter training, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

“(Ohio law) prohibits a school from employing a person who goes armed while on duty in his or her job unless the employee has satisfactorily completed an approved basic peace-officer-training program or has 20 years of experience as a peace officer,” Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor wrote in the ruling, according to the report.

The policy at Madison Local School District was put in place after a 2016 shooting at the junior-senior high school that left four students injured.

A previous policy called for employees to pass a background check, have a valid concealed carry license and complete a 24 hour training program.
A previous policy called for school employees to pass a background check, have a valid concealed carry license and complete a 24-hour training program.
AP

Parents opposed to the policy then fought it in court.

The 12th District Court of Appeals had already ruled teachers are required to have police training in order to carry concealed weapons in school.

“Had the General Assembly intended to condition the authority to carry a firearm in a school safety zone on having the basic police training required of peace officers, it could have written the statute that way,” dissenting Justice Sharon Kennedy wrote in the ruling, according to the report.

“It did not,” Kennedy added.

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