Williams’ School Concealed Carry Bill Passes Subcommittee

The Tennessee House Education Committee will consider a bill Wednesday by Representative Ryan Williams allowing teachers to have concealed carry weapons at school.

Cookeville Representative Ryan Williams addressed the bill after citizens and committee members expressed concern over whether teachers should be armed, citing findings from the Parkland Shooting Commission report last year.

“I’m not saying that this is the best solution, [and] I’m not saying this the only solution,” Williams said. “But what I am saying is, when the Parkland Shooting committee came together… one of the things in their 384-page report was they felt like allowing teachers to carry a gun might have saved lives.”

One citizen that spoke against the bill was 17-year-old high school junior Isabelle Riche of Murfreesboro. She said the bill wouldn’t make students feel safe in their own classroom.

“I don’t see why we should allow guns into classrooms. I don’t see how I should be expected to ignore the firearm in the room I’m trying to test in, and how I should be expected to cope with the idea that my teacher is ready to seriously harm a human being,” Riche said. “Let’s make learning environments that promote anti-violence and compassion, not hostile and unnerving militarized classrooms.”

Murfreesboro Teacher Jordan Randolph also spoke against the bill, saying guns would only make some situations worse.

“Schools are high-stress environments. As a teacher, you truly don’t know each day or moment what will happen,” Randolph said. “I have served in communities with children who are already traumatized by gun violence. During my time as a teacher, I have seen students leave in ambulances after horrific fights. I myself have been injured by attempting to break up a student fight. These scenarios could all have become fatal with a gun in the room.”

The subcommittee passed the K-12 Education Subcommittee last week.