The Tennessee House of Representatives is set to consider a bill that would allow some school teachers and staff to carry a gun. The Republican-sponsored bill passed the Senate last week after a contentious floor debate that saw opponents thrown out of the gallery for disrupting the proceedings. After passing through all the necessary committees in the House last year, it could be taken up in that chamber at any moment during the waning days of this year’s legislative session.
But if the bill is passed into law, as it’s currently written, a would-be gun-carrying teacher would need the specific approval of several local officials. Among them is their district’s director of schools.
In Nashville, that’s Dr. Adrienne Battle, who’s been serving as superintendent of one of Tennessee’s two largest school districts since 2019. Under her leadership, it would seem that Metro Nashville Public Schools is not eager to see teachers carrying in the city’s classrooms. Although MNPS spokesperson Sean Braisted told the Banner the district does not generally comment on pending legislation, he made clear in a written statement where they stand on the core question.
“We have a strong relationship with the Metro Nashville Police Department, and we agree that it is best and safest for only approved active-duty law enforcement to carry weapons on campus, which has been our consistent practice at MNPS,” he wrote.
Democrats have expressed outrage over the proposed legislation, describing it as a reckless policy that schools and teachers aren’t asking for. They’ve also highlighted a provision in the bill that would keep parents from knowing whether or not their child’s teacher is keeping a gun in the classroom. Republicans, including Senate sponsor Paul Bailey of Sparta, have defended the bill, highlighting its requirements for teachers and school staff to complete 40 hours of training and get the approval of local education and law enforcement officials before they could carry.
The proposal has drawn strong opposition from gun control advocates and, specifically, parents from The Covenant School. The Christian elementary school in Green Hills was the site of a mass shooting in March 2023 that killed three children and three adults. Mothers from the school have been at the forefront of the fight over gun laws in Tennessee ever since and were among those removed from the Senate gallery last week.
Those parents have echoed concerns from legislators who say that introducing guns into a school setting will only increase the chances of someone getting shot. A group of Covenant mothers have been circulating an open letter to legislators saying they were “devastated” to see the Senate approve the legislation.
“While we all want safe schools and an end to gun violence, arming teachers with guns is not the way,” the letter reads. “It ignores research that shows the presence of a gun increases the risks posed to children: There have been multiple incidents of students and teachers finding misplaced firearms in bathrooms, locker rooms and sporting events. Discharging a firearm in a crowded school is an extremely risky action, with consequences that can include the wounding and/or death of innocent victims.”
Law enforcement leaders would also have to sign off on any teacher or school staff member who wants to carry a gun on campus. Metro Nashville Police Department spokesperson Don Aaron declined to comment on whether Chief John Drake would ever do that, but he did elaborate on the department’s current approach to school safety.
“This police department dedicates significant resources to schools,” he said in a written statement. “All public middle and high schools have at least one SRO [school resource officer]. The School Safety Initiative (officers on overtime) allows for a presence at many elementary school campuses; precinct officers also keep elementary schools on their frequent patrol list. In addition, our department has a Rapid School Safety Team of officers who can quickly get to a campus as necessary.”