Teachers and other public school staff in the US state of Tennessee are allowed to carry concealed weapons in schools under a law signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee on Friday.
"It is important that we give school authorities a tool and the ability to use it to protect children," Lee told reporters.
As the idea of arming teachers began to gain support, gun control and family advocates began gathering at the Tennessee Capitol to show opposition. During the final vote this Sunday, protesters chanted "Blood is on your hands!" and many led a chase on Republican lawmakers immediately after the vote, prompting House Speaker Cameron Sexton to order the crowd out of the Assembly gallery.
Under the law, which takes effect immediately, parents and other teachers will be prohibited from knowing who is armed in schools.
The principal, school district and police would have to agree on which staff members to allow to carry weapons, and then those who wanted to would have to get a gun permit and written authorization from the school principal and police. They would also have to pass a background check and 40 hours of gun training. They would not be able to carry weapons at school assemblies in stadiums, gymnasiums and similar places.
The law is the largest expansion of gun access in Tennessee since last year's deadly shooting at a private elementary school in Nashville, where a gunman indiscriminately opened fire and killed three children and three adults before being killed by police.
Governor Lee initially asked lawmakers in response to the attack to pass legislation to keep guns away from people deemed a danger to themselves or others, but the Republican majority ignored the request.
Many families met with Lee and lawmakers in hopes of persuading them to drop the idea of arming teachers, but to no avail.
It is unclear whether school districts will enforce the law. Nashville Public School District spokesman Sean Braisted said the district's position is that "it is best and safest for active duty police to carry weapons," not teachers.
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