As a parent of three kids who all went through public schools, the only thing that might have induced me to homeschool them would be the idea of their teachers being armed. There's just no need for that. I'm sorry, but there's not.
Texas Republicans disagree with me, however.
People who are concerned about the use of excessive force by law enforcement may have to deal with another fatal can of worms. If Texas state Rep. Dan Flynn (R) gets his way, teachers will have the right to use deadly force against students in Texas classrooms, in the near future.
The Lone Star State already permits teachers to have firearms in the classroom, but H.B. 868, also known as the Teacher’s Protection Act, would authorize instructors to use “force or deadly force on school property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored event in defense of the educator’s person or in defense of students of the school that employs the educator.” Instructors would also have the right to use deadly force “in defense of property of the school that employs the educator.” Moreover, civil immunity would be granted to those who use deadly force, meaning they would not be liable for the injury or death of student.
Such a bill could have disastrous consequences for students of color. A coalition of civil rights organizations found that black and Latino students face much higher rates of disciplinary action in schools, which exacerbates the so-called school-to-prison pipeline. By extension, if students of color are already disproportionately targeted by school authorities for their behavior, they could also become the targets of deadly force used by educators.
I can see the school standards sheets they send home now, asking parents to hold the school harmless from all liability should their little darling be shot dead by a paranoid teacher who imagined a threat.
What on earth are we teaching our kids with laws like this? That all conflicts should end with someone dead? There are other ways.
