WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03) on Friday introduced legislation to reaffirm federal funds should not be used to arm school personnel with firearms or to train school staff in the use of firearms.

In their resolution, the members emphasize the position held by teachers and parents across Connecticut: namely, that teachers sign up to become educators, not trained law enforcement officers. They also point to existing survey data, which overwhelmingly indicates that arming teachers does not make students safer. A recent survey of gun violence on school campuses showed that out of 225 incidents of gun violence between 1999 and 2018, trained armed personnel or school resource officers failed to disarm an active shooter 223 times.

Increasing the number of guns in schools adds an unnecessary risk to children and raises the likelihood of unintentional and unwarranted shootings. Not only does this put students and school communities at higher risk, but it also jeopardizes the safety of law enforcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently found that casualties for trained law enforcement during active shooter incidents increased from 2021 to 2022.  

“For years, the gun lobby has tried to push this narrative that putting more guns into our schools and arming our teachers will make our kids safer. That’s ridiculous. There is zero evidence to support this idea, and plenty of evidence that shows more guns just lead to more gun deaths. Parents, teachers, and kids don’t want guns in school, and we should listen to them. This resolution makes clear that guns do not belong in our classrooms and the federal government shouldn’t be in the business of arming teachers,” said Murphy. 

“The safety of students and educators is deeply personal for me and so many Americans,” said Hayes. “Teachers should not be responsible for having a firearm in the classroom or be expected to respond with deadly force in an emergency. This resolution builds upon my work to keep guns out of schools and communities. More guns will not solve the gun violence epidemic. We must invest in common sense solutions to keep guns out of schools and improve safety.” 

The resolution has been endorsed by the National Education Association (NEA), Newtown Action Alliance, National Association of School Psychologist (NASP), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Everytown for Gun Safety, Council of Administrators of Special Education, National Association of School Nurses, National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), and Giffords Law Center. 

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