A Granbury teacher is on administrative leave after leaving a gun unattended in a faculty restroom in early March.
No injuries were reported at the high school, named after the district, and security officers secured the weapon, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. The teacher is a school marshal, which is why the educator was armed on campus.
District officials did not respond for comment as of Tuesday evening.
Granbury ISD is about 40 miles southwest of Fort Worth. The firearm was in a faculty restroom that students don’t have access to, according to the Star-Telegram.
The teacher’s Texas Commission on Law Enforcement marshal certification has been revoked, according to the newspaper. It was unclear late Tuesday if the move is permanent or is a temporary precaution as the investigation unfolds.
Texas allows school employees to carry guns on campuses through two ways: school marshals and the guardian plan.
Texas has nearly 280 appointed school marshals in the state, according to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. They are allowed in public school districts, private schools and community colleges.
School boards can authorize employees to carry guns on campus through the guardian plan, with some guardrails.
Districts do not disclose who on campus is armed.
Many state leaders called for more armed staff in Texas schools following the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Several proposed bills this legislative session aim to tackle school safety.
Educators have said the lack of funding is hindering efforts to ensure students’ safety on campus.
Roughly $10 is doled out to Texas schools currently per student for safety needs. Dallas ISD leaders want that raised to at least $200.
Other Texans want a police officer at every school. Limited funding and staff shortages pose challenges to the move.
Experts worry that an increase in police presence could lead to more children of color facing criminal charges for minor misbehavior and question whether it would prevent school shootings.
In a December report looking at ways to make Texas schools safer, state Senators suggested providing funds to “harden” campuses, arming additional staff and reviewing how schools discipline children.
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