Every child in the 21^st century American school system lives with the morbid understanding that their classroom could be the next target in the long line of school shootings that has haunted this country. Children as young as five years old participate in active shooter drills at school, which have become as routine as fire drills. Despite the devastating impact school shootings have had on Americans, very little advancement has been made towards gun control. Instead, it seems that the solution is to arm teachers with guns, which may prove to be beneficial but there are aspects of this new measure that may cause more harm than good.  

During the 2025 session of the North Carolina General Assembly, the legislature passed Session Law 2025-81, a new act that permits employees and volunteers at nonpublic schools to carry firearms or stun guns on the premises of the educational property that is owned, used or operated by the nonpublic school. The personnel permitted to carry such weapons is limited to individuals who meet several criteria, such as written authorization from the school board of trustees or the school administrative director to possess and carry the weapon, a concealed handgun permit issued in accordance with law, and the annual completion of a gun safety course. 

This decision was made primarily to better protect students against gun violence. However, there has been discussion whether this act will only make students less safe. While there may be potential benefits in trying to ensure that students are no longer victim to school shootings, the act fails to consider the possible impact of the presence of deadly weapons in schools on minority students. This blog will be focusing on the harm historically targeted students may face with firearms in the hands of school employees.  

Purpose & Benefits 

Instead of passing gun control laws due to the grim reality that school children are not safe in their classrooms, the legislature has responded by permitting nonpublic school employees and volunteers to carry firearms in schools. This decision is rooted in the logic that it will give these employees and ultimately, the students, a fighting chance if a situation arises where an active shooter is on the school campus.  

Typically, it may take ten to twenty minutes for help to arrive on the scene from the moment that authorities are actually notified that the incident is taking place. Unfortunately, it takes most active shooters less than five minutes to finish killing. However, if trained school employees are armed with weapons that can be used for defense, then those precious minutes that are spent waiting for the authorities to arrive could be used either neutralizing the threat or saving several lives. 

School shootings have become a recurring and highly publicized feature of the American educational landscape and almost 400,000 children have experienced gun violence since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. This new legislation could be game changing for the education system in terms of more safety as a result. In the absence of significant federal or statewide gun control reforms, perhaps arming school employees and volunteers with firearms may very well be the next best bet.  

Implications & Suggestions Moving Forward 

While this new legislation offers a lot of hope for safety against active shooters on school campuses, the act does not explicitly address when the weapon can or cannot be used by the school employee or volunteer. This means that there may be a serious concern about gun violence against minority students by the same individuals who are supposed to protect them. 

Throughout American history, the legacy of white rage and violence against minorities, especially the Black community, has remained rooted in almost every aspect of the societal structure, including the educational system. Even in today’s day and age, this white rage is present in the emotional responses that white teachers and personnel have against minority students. Studies show a pattern in which Black and Hispanic students get punished more severely than white students who were involved in the exact same incidents and had the same prior disciplinary histories.  

These disciplinary decisions are not a coincidence and are exacerbated by their emotional responses, which are highly influenced by their racial biases. In a society where Black and Brown people are constantly targeted in their daily lives by deadly weapons, arming school employees and volunteers with deadly weapons could promote more harm to these minority students because of their racialized anger.  

Ultimately, the only solution would require ensuring that those in possession of these weapons will not use it against marginalized students as a result of being influenced by their racial biases and anger. Ideally, there would be more clear instruction given that only allows use of the weapons against active shooters or training to eliminate these racial biases in order to shape a world where children do not live in fear sitting in their classrooms, whether from active shooters or the individuals meant to protect them. 

Juselie Derice

Class of 2027, Staff Member