From Deseret News archives:
Teachers shy away from gun class
Did news of media coverage keep some from free session?
Aposhian said several of the two dozen teachers interested in the course shied away when they learned news media would be there. Many scheduled their instruction for another time, he said.
Still, a handful of teachers attended the course. Among three interviewed, two weren't too hot on bringing the guns to schools, even in the wake of school shootings.
But one female teacher said she was thinking about it.
"In classrooms, I think it's a good thing," said the woman, who asked not to be identified. "Good guys should be armed, not just the bad guys."
About 80,000 concealed-weapons permits have been issued in Utah, said Aposhian, owner of FairWarning Firearm Training and chairman of the Utah Shooting Sports Council. About a quarter are issued to people outside the state.
There is no public database detailing who has one, because that would violate the purpose of having a concealed weapon, Aposhian said. He also recommended permit holders not talk about their guns — except to tell police officers if they have a permit and a weapon in the event of a traffic stop or other detainment.
"Keep it very discreet," he told the class of about 10.
People seeking such permits are fingerprinted, undergo a criminal background check and take a two-part class: one on firearms training, including loading, firing and storing the gun safely; the other on Utah handgun and use-of-force laws, Aposhian said. The permit-seekers are not required to shoot, though Aposhian planned to take his class to the range.
Aposhian said he waives the class fee for schoolteachers and victims of domestic abuse. Fees range from $50 to $75, depending on the place, he said. They still have to pay the $59 application fee to the state.
Education leaders bristle at the idea of guns on campus. While state law bans anyone from bringing a gun to school, it exempts those with concealed-weapons permits. The law does not require permit holders to tell the principal if they're packing, but people who want to, can, Aposhian said.
The teacher who wished to remain unidentified said guns are on teachers' minds. She is working out whether to carry hers to school, and in those instances, where to keep it: on her person or locked away.
But Meg Hanssen, who works in Brighton High School's attendance office, said she's been considering getting a permit for personal reasons, independent of the rash of school shootings. She's also unsure whether she'd carry it on the job.
"It's something that does not go unnoticed with teenagers," Hanssen said of packing a weapon, which she feared a student might discover or take. And if it's locked away, and needed, she said, how would she get to it quickly?
Substitute teacher David Westley also was interested in the class because he's been around weapons most of his life and might want to carry one with him on occasion. But he had no plans to bring it to school.
"There are thousands and thousands of schools," he said, "and it's still way safer at school than the trip to and from school."
E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com
