Pistol-Packin' Teacher Says It's Her Right

Fears Columbine-Style Attack, Ex-Husband; School District Goes To Court To Disarm Her

(AP)  High school English teacher Shirley Katz insists she needs to take her pistol with her to work because she fears her ex-husband could show up and try to harm her. She's also worried about a Columbine-style attack.

But Katz's district has barred teachers from bringing guns to school, so she is challenging the ban as unlawful, since Oregon is among states that allow people with a permit to carry concealed weapons into public buildings.

"This is primarily about my Second Amendment right and Oregon law and the simple fact that I know it is my right to carry that gun," said Katz, 44, sitting at the kitchen table of her home outside this city of 74,000.

"I have that (concealed weapons) permit. I refuse to let my ex-husband bully me. And I am not going to let the school board bully me, either."

In Oregon, a sheriff can grant a concealed-weapons permit to anyone whose criminal record is clean and who completes a gun-safety course.

Thirty-eight states, along with the District of Columbia, prohibit people from taking guns to school, according to the National Council of State Legislatures. But it's unclear how many offer an exemption for people holding concealed-weapons permits, since the council does not track such exceptions.

Superintendent Phil Long insists employees and students are safer without guns on campus at South Medford High School, where Katz teaches. The district plans to make that argument when the case comes before a judge on Thursday.

Katz's request appears to be rare. School security consultant Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services in Cleveland, said he has never heard of a similar case while working in 45 states.

Katz won't say whether she has ever taken her 9 mm Glock pistol to school, but she practices with it regularly and has thought about what she would do if she had to confront a gunman. She would be sure students were locked in nearby offices out of the line of fire, and she would be ready with her pistol.

"Our safety plan at our school now is that if somebody threatening comes in, you try to avoid eye contact, and do whatever they say, and that is not acceptable anymore," she said. Shootings at Virginia Tech University and the one-room Amish school in Pennsylvania, "reinforced my belief we have to take action, we can't just acquiesce as we have been taught to do."

Katz never owned a gun until she and her then-husband, commercial photographer Gerry Katz, moved to Oregon from Atlanta eight years ago and bought 20 acres on a gravel road in the foothills of the Cascade Range.

"Being out in the country, we just felt we needed to have a gun here for personal safety," she said.

In 2004, Gerry Katz, who had a concealed weapons permit, was arrested for pulling a .38-caliber revolver after a confrontation that began in a parking lot with two men whose car almost hit his.

According to the police report, he did not point the weapon at anyone. The police seized it, and the charges were later dismissed. Gerry Katz said he never went back for his gun.

Shirley Katz said she bought her own gun in 2004 after Gerry Katz grabbed her by the throat and threatened to kill her - an allegation he denies.

He argues that her desire to take her gun to school is about reopening their divorce to get exclusive custody of their 6-year-old daughter.

"She's just scamming everybody," he said. "As soon as this thing started ... I called the principal at her high school and told her ... I am not coming to your school. I am not a threat to her. I have no desire to hurt her."

Oregon had a school shooting in 1998, when student Kip Kinkel killed his parents at home, then drove to school and opened fire in the cafeteria of Thurston High School in Springfield, killing two and wounding 25 others.

Since then, the Legislature has considered barring people with concealed weapons permits from carrying guns in schools, but the bills have failed, said Dori Brattain, general counsel to the Oregon School Boards Association.

Some South Medford students say they are uncomfortable with the idea of a teacher carrying a gun, especially since they cannot bring even scissors to school.

"I totally understand she wants to protect herself," said Lauren Forderer, 16, a junior. "But I don't agree she should bring her problems around 2,000 other people."

Even if she wins, Katz said, she may not bring the gun to school.

"The whole point of carrying concealed is no one should know you're carrying," she said. "So I feel like my carrying concealed on campus now sets me up as a target."

[michellem99-2009]

This is a school where reading writing spelling lessons are taught. Parents have a duty to be parents not their friends. The gun leave it home locked up.

[lucasnico]

hey kaiyo:

Yeah and I bet you expect the teachers of the public schools to teach your kids their morals and parent them? Especially since you don''''t have time. I grew up in an era where the parents had control over their children and if you were up to no good as a child the neighbors would not only hold you for what you doing wrong, they would inform your parents and you get punished double for getting out of line.
Too many whiners out there blaming the environment on their bad behavior when it''''s their choice to behave badly.
Terrorists and nutcases prefer unarmed victims, so go ahead, trade your liberty for security and you will have neither...

This has absolutely nothing to do with taking a gun to school. It''s a place of learning, not a hunting club. Keep living in the 50''s old man.
I continue to teach my kids respect, morals, and that there is a time and place for everything.... and guns at school isn''t one of them.

[michellem99-2009]

There was another school shooting by a 14 yr old. The parents/care takers are not doing their duty. I am 53. Before I left the foster home for school,and this my shond odd to yer,foster mother knew what was allowed in lessons. She would and did check our person and lesson bag. The bi tch even pulled my magnifiers needed for school work. The state got them for me as a legally blind pupil but they were never seen again. The books were useless to to me as I could not see to do the lessons w/o magnifiers. And not just any one will work for me. What are they teaching the teachers to be in teachers college today. Not much by the looks of things.

[johnstossel]

I doubt that a teacher will start shooting. Let her carry the gun. If teachers at Virginia Tech had guns the outcome would have been much different. Do you thinf that *** gave a rat''s *** about gun permits? I think not!!!

[gunnerv1]

Welcome to the "Gun Free Victim Zone".

[klingon69]

These people of my generation, thought it was cool to be friends with these kids instead of instilling morales, and respect for others. They let the kids get away with everything and never raise their voice to these kids. They spared the rod, and have spoiled the child. Now we have little p--sy whipped kids taking guns to school cause they are to chicken s-it to face their fears head on. If I were a teacher I would be a black belt, and carry a gun. They are kids and need to be taught right from wrong. But your still gonna have the few that think they are bigger then those sneakers they have on.
Posted by mo005 at 04:13 PM : Oct 09, 2007

It''s always seems simple to blame the parents for the raising of the child. In todays world when both parents have to work to provide a decent living wage, or many single parent homes, less and less time is spent with the children. There are far too many external influences that parents have little if any control over. Secondly, the govt/cps have effectively removed most of a parents tools for raising a respectful, decent kid. If your child went to school and told the teacher/principal that they had gotten a whipping for whatever, the cps would be on that parents doorstep by that afternoon. Funny thing is, most people that tell you how your child should be raised, how you should discipline...have never had children.

[klingon69]

SPEAK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG STICK SOMEONE ONCE SAID..
Posted by DRYWALL41 at 12:56 PM : Oct 09, 2007

TEDDY ROOSEVELT

[klingon69]

Going further, maybe we should try to figure out WHY there is a risk of violence in schools in every case--whether from teachers personal lives or student issues or whatever.
Posted by andor3 at 12:42 PM : Oct 09, 2007

When I attended school (late 60s-mid 70s), there was little if any gun violence. Students obeyed the teachers/administrators. Our families backed up the system, I wasn''t so worried about the licks a teacher/principal gave me, as much as what I knew I was gonna get when I got home. We took away the parent and teacher/administrators rights to discipline. Detention hall and time outs don''t work, at least not long. I first saw the teachers being stripped of the disciplinary rights in High School, licks and punishment had to meted out by the prinicpals only. Most problems still got hammered through with parental involvement. Today, parents aren''t even welcome in any aspect(other than PTA) of their childrens schooling day to day.

[klingon69]

So this teacher does not feel safe in a suburban school full of wholesome intelligent White kids?
Posted by cryonbrian at 11:27 AM : Oct 09, 2007

C''mon, bring race into it, I kneww we would count on your racist views to show up.

[kaiyo4u]

911: The governments answer to dial a prayer....

[kaiyo4u]

kaiyo: Kudos to the lady for standing up for her rights.

The last thing we need is a gun, for ANY reason, at school. Before you can even start to talk about education, kids must be in a safe enviornment....that would be without guns. Fire this lady, and kaiyo, you are a complete idiot.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by lucasnico at 10:39 PM : Oct 09, 2007

Yeah and I bet you expect the teachers of the public schools to teach your kids their morals and parent them? Especially since you don''t have time. I grew up in an era where the parents had control over their children and if you were up to no good as a child the neighbors would not only hold you for what you doing wrong, they would inform your parents and you get punished double for getting out of line.
Too many whiners out there blaming the environment on their bad behavior when it''s their choice to behave badly.
Terrorists and nutcases prefer unarmed victims, so go ahead, trade your liberty for security and you will have neither...

[gunnerv1]

Let''s here it for "Gun Free Victim Zones"

[gunownerdan]

When a terrorist or some homicidal nutcase decides to shoot up a shool, who''s going to stop them?
Someone with a gun, that''s who.
You can call the police and wait 15 minutes, or maybe even 2 hours for help to arrive.
Or you can allow responsible teachers and other adults to choose to carry guns for their own protection.
Killers prefer unarmed victims.
They always have and they always will!
a-human-right.com

[tbweb]

I would not show up in her class without my homework! LOL

[pswolcott]

Actually Socrates392, you are right. All are allowed to carry guns via the constitution. However, not every one of us SHOULD be allowed based on mental and psychological issues but loved your post. Give ''em hell Sam!

[socrates392]

If it''s her right to carry a gun, I think the kids should carry guns too. In fact, I think we should all carry guns. Then, when a crime occurs, everyone in a five block radius will be showered with random gun fire!

Wild, Wild West! Yeehaw!

[pswolcott]

Quite frankly, if my child was in a class taught by this teacher I would be concerned for my child''s safety only because the teacher is so concerned with her own wellfare. I would feel that my child was at a higher risk of being in harms way and there comes a point when you stand for the most prevalent right, the right of the many (and innocent) over the right of one (who can move, get legal help etc.) I would demand that this teacher refrain from teaching while she herself is the catalyst in a domestic dispute that jeopardizes my child''s safety.

[lucasnico]

kaiyo: Kudos to the lady for standing up for her rights.

The last thing we need is a gun, for ANY reason, at school. Before you can even start to talk about education, kids must be in a safe enviornment....that would be without guns. Fire this lady, and kaiyo, you are a complete idiot.

[gmond]

She is afraid of her husband and her students? She doesn''t need a gun, she needs medication.

[boston1954]

I do think guns aid people in killing greater numbers of people at a time.
Posted by hippychicky at 01:47 PM : Oct 09, 2007
--
And from a greater distance. I am thinking of the DC snipers. Could they have snuck up and killed that many with a baseball bat? (that is a big stick)