# Teacher Fired For Absent-Mindedly Bringing a Gun To School. Too Much?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [March 5, 2003, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219 "2003-03-05T11:45:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2003, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/61 "2003-03-08T02:01:37Z")
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> \*Originally posted by Daikona \*
> \*\*You do realize what happens should a stray bullet pierce the outer wall of the plane, right \*\*
I do, but you obviously don’t. Or hadn’t you noticed that the feds just gave pilots permission to have pistols on planes, and that air marshalls have had them for some time.
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### Author:  [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/62 "2003-03-08T02:38:51Z")
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> \*Originally posted by Hobie the One \*
> \*\*I used to substitute at the school district in question and they most certainly do have a weapons policy that applies to firearms. I know Tony and think he’s a great teacher and a nice guy but I feel that this was totally irresponsible and he should be dismissed. Sorry Tony, if you read this. \*\*
I don’t disagree, but I think catsix was talking about whatever school she teaches at, which sounds like an institution of higher learning full of murderers and rapists and bears. Allegheny Community College, maybe?
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### Author:  [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/63 "2003-03-08T02:40:29Z")
Although I had heard of this story, I didn’t realize that it was here at Shaler. I am hometown proud!
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### Author:  [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/64 "2003-03-08T03:48:41Z")
Re: the other posters talking about what could happen with a loaded gun in a backpack…
The year before I started high school, a student (for unclear but not ‘absent-minded’ reasons) brought a loaded gun to school in his backpack. He brought his backpack into the cvafeteria with him, and carelessly dropped it on the floor. The gun went off and shot a kid through the chest. Luckily, the guy who was shot survived (and graduated when I was a sophomore) but obviously the situation could have been much worse.
And the same thing could easily have happened here. If the teacher truly had ‘forgotten’ he had a gun in his backpack and dropped it on the floor, he could have shot one of his students, another teacher, etc.
There’s no question the guy should be fired!
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### Author:  [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/65 "2003-03-08T18:34:42Z")
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> You do realize what happens should a stray bullet pierce the outer wall of the plane, right?
Not even a .50 caliber hole in the fuselage would be enough to catastrophically fail an aircraft.
> [@](#):
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> I don’t disagree, but I think catsix was talking about whatever school she teaches at, which sounds like an institution of higher learning full of murderers and rapists and bears.
It is a post-high school private institution. I don’t know about murderers, but we do have a few students who are on a day-release kind of thing from jail where the prison bus brings them in the morning and picks them up in the afternoon. And there is that guy who set fire to his girlfriend. And a few others who it is noted have ‘extreme hostility problems and difficulty controlling angry outbursts’.
I think firing this teacher was the right thing to do, because this wasn’t a case of some licensed person carrying their gun properly for self defense. This was not just irresponsibility either. That’s reckless endangerment there. When it comes to guns, you absolutely cannot afford to make careless mistakes.
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### Author:  [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/66 "2003-03-09T00:27:11Z")
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> \*Originally posted by cjhoworth \*
> **Welcome to the Board, Hobie! It’s nice to have another Pittsburgher around.**
You know, I could go for a Pittsburgher with a side order of fries right about now… 😉
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### Author:  [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/67 "2003-03-10T23:53:00Z")
RTFirefly: how do you know it was loaded? Did I miss that part?
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> \*Originally posted by furlibusea \*
> I think if i was a parent whose child was in that school I sure the hell would want to know why this teacher is not facing criminal charges
:rolleyes:
Perhaps you should actually read the OP?
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### Author:  [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/68 "2003-03-11T00:43:29Z")
**The Ryan** , it matters not whether it was loaded or unloaded. He brought a weapon onto school grounds, which is illegal in Pennsylvania. He claims to have done it out of ignorance, which makes his case even worse, since if he couldn’t be troubled to doublecheck his bag for the presence of a gun, it could be argued that he was too irresponsible to check to see if it was loaded or unloaded when he finished with his target practice or whatever.
Any way you look at it, this dude should have been canned. The school district is unquestionably in the right here.
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### Author:  [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/69 "2003-03-11T00:58:18Z")
> [@](#):
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> You know, I could go for a Pittsburgher with a side order of fries right about now…
A Pittsburgher wouldn’t have a side order of fries because any real Pittsburgher would come with the slaw and fries already on it. 😉
Mmmm… Primanti’s.
\
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### Author:  [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/70 "2003-03-11T07:38:10Z")
AD: then why did RTFirefly make such a big deal out of it? If there’s something in the article that I missed, I’m curious as to what it is. If there isn’t, I think that there’s something wrong with someone making an untrue statement, and then someone questions it, the response is “eh, it doesn’t matter”.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/71 "2003-03-12T01:41:26Z")
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> \*Originally posted by Hentor the Barbarian \*
> \*\*I don’t disagree, but I think catsix was talking about whatever school she teaches at, which sounds like an institution of higher learning full of murderers and rapists and bears. Allegheny Community College, maybe? \*\*
Um, **Hentor** , I went to CCAC. :wally
Hehehe…
You’re from Shaler? I’m in Hampton! Dude!
**DaphneBlack** -I’d REALLY like to see a cite for that.
**catsix** , your right to defend yourself does NOT over ride my right to ask that you not bring guns onto my property (hypothetically speaking). If that’s the case, then the manager of Wendy’s is perfectly within his right to tell you to go elsewhere.
And NO ONE is telling YOU whether or not you can have a gun and where. That is, until you start assuming that.
As for firing the teacher, not only is this guy a moron when it comes to guns-and should lose his concealed license (I don’t know all the gun laws-I know next to nothing about guns), I wouldn’t want him teaching my cat if he’s that stupid. Good god, what next-he leaves the Bunson burner on? Or the gas valves?
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### Author:  [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/72 "2003-03-12T02:40:30Z")
[QUOTE]
\*Originally posted by Guinastasia \*
\*\*Um, **Hentor** , I went to CCAC. :wally
Hehehe…
You’re from Shaler? I’m in Hampton! Dude!\*\*
Sorry to mislead - I just meant that I didn’t realize the incident occured so close to home in Allegheny County. I’m actually in Bethel. As far as CCAC, I was really just kidding! I almost said Duqesne. Given **catsix’s** description, it sounded like they were trooping Baumhammers, Ronald Taylor, and Joseph Cornelius to sit in her front row, causing her to pack heat along with lecture notes. I feel bad for someone who sees threat around every corner. It would be a scary world to live in.
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### Author:  [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/73 "2003-03-12T14:15:31Z")
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> **Guinastasia** said:
> If that’s the case, then the manager of Wendy’s is perfectly within his right to tell you to go elsewhere.
I wonder how the manager of Wendy’s would know to say something about it, considering the point of concealed carry is that nobody else is aware you are carrying. I don’t typically go to places that have a posted policy against concealed carry, and if it’s not posted, nobody would be able to tell when I walk in the door whether I’m carrying or not because of that whole ‘concealed’ part.
> [@](#):
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> **Hentor the Barbarian** said:
> Given catsix’s description, it sounded like they were trooping Baumhammers, Ronald Taylor, and Joseph Cornelius to sit in her front row, causing her to pack heat along with lecture notes. I feel bad for someone who sees threat around every corner. It would be a scary world to live in.
Do you think that I’m lying or exaggerating about the place I work? Do you think I’m paranoid? We just had an incident yesterday of a student and a professor getting into a fight over some nonsense. Administration is still deciding what to do about that fight, and it’s not the first incident we’ve had this year. I’m not imagining a threat around every corner; I am only cognizant of the things that happen here. Due to past precedents here, I think there’s more risk of something happening here than at say, Eat 'N Park, and I see no harm in being ready to do more than duck under my desk.
As for it being a ‘scary world to live in’, I’m not running around scared of being attacked. I’m not spending every night terrified that my house will burn down either, and I’ve still got a fire extinguisher.
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### Author:  [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/74 "2003-03-12T15:27:49Z")
> [@](#):
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> _originally posted by catsix_
> We just had an incident yesterday of a student and a professor getting into a fight over some nonsense.
So, should you have shot the student, then?
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### Author:  [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/75 "2003-03-13T20:43:46Z")
That depends on the situation.
To prevent one of them from killing the other, yeah, probably would have.
As it was, things didn’t get that far.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/76 "2003-03-13T21:22:41Z")
Just how “far” did they go?
Look, if they don’t know you have the weapon, fine. But, I’m saying, if the manager of Wendys’ DOES find out you are carrying, do you agree that it is his right to ask you to leave?
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### Author:  [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-fired-for-absent-mindedly-bringing-a-gun-to-school-too-much/159219/77 "2003-03-13T21:32:17Z")
They got as far as throwing chairs around.
And yeah, if the Wendy’s manager has x-ray vision and decides to ask me to leave, I will leave. Of course said manager will have to either give back my money or provide me with what I paid for, else he or she has committed theft.
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