A Virginia school district’s effort to arm teachers and other school employees has encountered a setback after a state agency refused to endorse the district’s plan.
The Department of Criminal Justice Services rejected Lee County Superintendent Brian Austin’s application to register as an armed special conservator of the peace, a designation the district hoped would permit school employees to carry firearms in schools.
In a denial letter, the department cited an advisory opinion from state Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) that deemed as unlawful the plan by the school system in far southwest Virginia.
