Virginia fights suit to arm teachers

A school system in deep southwestern Virginia has filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s decision to bar the system’s employees from carrying firearms.

Lee County Public Schools is asking a circuit court judge to order the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services to allow the system’s superintendent to become a special conservator of the peace, a designation county officials believe would permit him to carry a gun on school property.

believe that we have legal grounds to provide this as an option to our staff and to provide an additional layer of security for our students,” Superintendent Brian Austin said.

The lawsuit names Shannon Dion, director of the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, and Brian Moran, state secretary of public safety and homeland security, as defendants. Dion did not respond to a message seeking comment. Moran declined to comment on pending litigation.

A spokesman for Attorney General Mark Herring reiterated Herring’s view that the county’s plan is unlawful.

orney General Herring has explained in an official opinion that Virginia state law does not allow for armed teachers, and for good reason,” spokesman Michael Kelly said. “We will work with our client agency to respond to the suit in court.”

The plan to form a volunteer cadre of armed school employees, all of whom would undergo psychological evaluation, background screenings and firearm training, was approved by Lee County’s school board in July.

Schools officials said they spent more than a year developing the plan.