Arming teachers comes up at Pueblo School District 70 board meeting
Arming Pueblo County School District 70 teachers with firearms to make district schools safer from school shootings was discussed at the district’s board meeting Tuesday in the aftermath of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, last month.
Ten Pueblo D70 community members took to the podium during the meeting's public comment period, six of whom said they oppose arming teachers and voiced concerns about gun safety and the potential for "friendly fire.”
"Arming teachers comes with liability," community member Andrea Creighton said. "Where does the liability lie for a teacher if they accidentally shoot a student? Where does the liability lie if they don't stop the threat in time? Who is paying for this liability insurance?"
Tuesday’s discussion was seemingly a continuation of another conversation online in a Facebook group called “Pueblo Stands Up,” in which several community members, including Pueblo D70 board member Cathleen Culhane-Howland, advocated for armed and trained staff in schools.
"If every classroom had an armed, trained teacher as well as armed security/resource officer for the facility, imagine how much safer it could be," one group member posted. "Instead of gun free zone signs, put up 'staff is armed and trained' signs."
In response to that post, Culhane-Howland said, "Absolutely agree! Please come to school board meeting tonight at 6. This will be discussed 6pm-9pm."
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Culhane-Howland agreed with at least two other posts by group members advocating for armed staff and invited them to attend the June 21 meeting.
"There was a lot of information given out. The sheriff gave a presentation," she told The Chieftain. "I thought people should be aware of what is going on."
Christopher Sutton, a licensed Colorado educator and military veteran with law enforcement experience, was among those opposed to arming teachers.
"In my professional experience, although qualified, about half of the professionals I have trained with should not be armed, as they can barely hit a stationary paper target in ideal conditions. And again, these are trained and experienced individuals ... Are we really going to have our teachers trained to shoot their students?"
Chrissy Fidura, a Pueblo District 70 parent who said she lost her friend Rachel Scott in the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, said she was in favor of having teachers armed.
"I am not saying that every teacher should be armed, but I am saying that if a teacher is inclined to protect their students and they want to go through that training ... they should be allowed to do so to protect these kids."
The Pueblo D70 Board of Education has not held formal discussions about arming teachers, according to board President Anne Ochs.
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Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached by email at JBartolo@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo D70 community debates giving teachers guns after Uvalde shooting
