Ohio school teachers and staff can't carry firearms on duty without extensive police training or 20 years of experience, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
In a 4-3 decision, the Ohio Supreme Court struck down a Madison Local School District policy that allowed up to 10 employees with concealed handgun licenses and training to carry weapons while in school.
The policy was enacted after four students were injured in a 2016 shooting at Madison Junior-Senior High School. Shortly after, a group of parents challenged the Butler County school district's policy in court.
Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, who was joined by three Democratic justices, wrote that the school district's policy violated Ohio law. The court affirmed an early ruling from the 12th District Court of Appeals, which ruled that teachers needed to have police training to conceal weapons at school.
"(Ohio law) prohibits a school from employing a person who goes armed while on duty in his or her job unless the employee has satisfactorily completed an approved basic peace-officer-training program or has 20 years of experience as a peace officer," O'Connor wrote.
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The remaining Republican justices dissented from the court's decision. Justice Pat DeWine and Justice Sharon Kennedy, who are both running for chief justice in 2022, wrote that teachers and school staff did not need extensive police training.
