RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, applauded Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring for issuing an advisory opinion that arming teachers in Lee County is unlawful. Herring notes that Virginia law already provides a legal process for hiring school security officers, who may, under certain circumstances, carry firearms and made clear that this attempt by the Lee County School Board to arm teachers and other staff members would violate Virginia law.
In July, the Lee County School Board voted and requested the Lee County Circuit Court appoint teachers and staff as “special conservators of the peace” (SCOPs), and to allow them to carry firearms. Herring’s advisory opinion this week found it unlawful for the Department of Criminal Justice Services to issue appointments for armed SCOPs to serve on public school grounds and found that SCOPs do not fall within any of the exceptions to the Virginia law that prohibits carrying guns on school grounds.
STATEMENT FROM JENNIFER HERRERA, VOLUNTEER LEADER WITH THE VIRGINIA CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:
“We need more leaders like Attorney General Herring who will stand up for gun safety. Arming teachers will not make our students safer. Enacting common-sense gun safety laws is how we will end this crisis. That is why Moms Demand Action volunteers are working hard to elect more gun sense candidates everywhere in November. ”