Gun law makes poor policy

A flawed statute that permits concealed weapons holders to carry guns into public schools became the stuff of a bad school policy adopted by the Salt Lake City Board of Education this past week.

Don't blame the school board. Its hands were tied by a statute passed by the Utah Legislature that doesn't grasp what Utahns have repeatedly told their state legislators: Concealed weapons don't belong in schools.

But give the Salt Lake school board credit; it didn't concede quietly. The board also passed a resolution that urges the Legislature to provide schools the same degree of protection from weapons it affords private residences and houses of worship. The school board also plans to post decals on school doors to politely encourage concealed-carry permit holders to leave their weapons at home or outside the school.

It would have been difficult, if not impossible, for schools to enforce a concealed weapons law with respect to parents dropping off students or attending school functions. Yet, the changes to the concealed weapons statute, pitched by backers as a "clarification" of the law, now preclude local school boards from prohibiting their own employees from carrying concealed weapons.

The legislation requires school district policy to conform to state law but some districts have crafted policies that say any school employee who fires a concealed weapon on school property would not be covered by the state risk management pool if use of the gun is not within the scope of their employment.

While school boards are duty bound to follow the law, it does not escape notice that other public entities that have challenged the Legislature's concealed weapons statute have made some headway. The University of Utah is a prime example. Perhaps the passage of these new employee policies will re-energize the movement to ensure all weapons are off limits in public schools. Public opinion polls conducted for this newspaper, as well as others, have consistently held that a majority of Utahns don't want concealed weapons in schools.

As the Salt Lake school board laments, the students of Utah public schools, who are required under law to attend school, deserve the same degree of consideration as private property owners and people who attend places of worship.