@@@3rd Grader Finds Superintendent’s Gun in the Bathroom

[ny96]

The school superintendent of Rising Star, Texas has resigned after a 3rd grader found his gun in the school bathroom about 15 minutes after he’d accidentally left it there.

www.nytimes.com/2023/02/22/us/texas-superintendent-resigns-gun.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

[smock]

My jaw is on the ground. And the response from the district and superintendent is shocking. The district didn't notify parents about the whole "gun in the elementary bathroom" thing. And here's what the superintendent said:

“There was never a danger other than the obvious,” [Superintendent] Stuteville said in the interview.

Never a danger?! As if a presumably loaded gun left unattended around elementary students is somehow LESS dangerous than inclusive bathrooms or books that mention race (or any of the other ridiculous "culture war" non-issues that Republicans think will "protect children" more than gun control).

[ny96]

Feb 22, 2023 16:16:31 GMT -5 smock said:

My jaw is on the ground. And the response from the district and superintendent is shocking. The district didn't notify parents about the whole "gun in the elementary bathroom" thing. And here's what the superintendent said:

“There was never a danger other than the obvious,” [Superintendent] Stuteville said in the interview.

Never a danger?! As if a presumably loaded gun left unattended around elementary students is somehow LESS dangerous than inclusive bathrooms or books that mention race (or any of the other ridiculous "culture war" non-issues that Republicans think will "protect children" more than gun control).

I also loved the response that “the child had done well to be on the lookout for any unusual placement of a weapon or anything out of place.” It’s like their claiming that they train children to turn in weapons where ever they randomly find them like it’s a training exercise and not a huge mistake with potentially deadly consequences.

[rubytue]

He added that guns were a “considerable danger” and that the child had done well “to be on the lookout for any unusual placement of a weapon or anything out of place.”

🤬 this quote gets me going, too. Arguing the gun safety education is the answer instead of, you know, NOT BRINING A GUN TO SCHOOL AND LEAVING IT IN A BATHROOM. Responsible gun owners my ass. 

edit: Jinx ny96,

[pixy0stix]

Gun nuts: We gotta arm the staff of schools to prevent school shootings!
Normal people: Um, no. People are irresponsible with guns.
Gun nuts: YOU DON'T KNOW NOTHING! WE'RE RESPONSIBLE!

No one could foresee this happening. No one.

[akayf]

Holy crap! After the kid found it and told their teacher, the teacher sent the kid along with another student to double check if it really was a gun.

The student told his teacher about the firearm, and the teacher sent the boy and another student to "go and be sure that's what he found," Jones said Tuesday. The two students went to the bathroom and "once it was determined that's what it was, they went straight to the superintendent's office," he said.


www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna71567

[sunshineandpinot]

WT actual F.
AND AND (!!!) when the student told a teacher about the gun, the teacher sent ANOTHER student to see if the gun was real. That student and family had just moved there from Uvalde!!!
omggggggggggg

eta jinx akayf,

[Deleted]

Holy shit.

[underwaterrhymes]

Too bad no one put the safety of children in the Constitution.

Maybe then we could have some real change.

[Deleted]

Also the fact that they didn't tell parents this happened. I just can't.

[maudefindlay]

And Indiana is currently working to pass a bill to pay for gun training for teachers. Guns have been allowed in classrooms here for 2 years now. I want it to be made public who has a gun in their room. I want my kids at a gun free school. Those "My Freedoms" folks can have their own damn schools.

[sonrisa]

Feb 22, 2023 16:16:31 GMT -5 smock said:

My jaw is on the ground. And the response from the district and superintendent is shocking. The district didn't notify parents about the whole "gun in the elementary bathroom" thing. And here's what the superintendent said:

“There was never a danger other than the obvious,” [Superintendent] Stuteville said in the interview.

Never a danger?! As if a presumably loaded gun left unattended around elementary students is somehow LESS dangerous than inclusive bathrooms or books that mention race (or any of the other ridiculous "culture war" non-issues that Republicans think will "protect children" more than gun control).

I bet the school library won't carry  "And Tango Makes Three" or "I am Jazz" or "Introducing Teddy" because *that* would be a danger to the kids.

Fuck Texas.

[heygrey]

“ Stuteville told NBC affiliate KRBC of Abilene, Texas, that he was using the restroom and placed his gun in the stall. He said it was left unattended for about 15 minutes until the student found it.”

Is it common for staff and students to share a washroom? This is minor compared to the gun, but this would not fly in my district. It’s a rule to both protect students and prevent accusations against staff.

[penguingrrl]

Feb 22, 2023 18:14:13 GMT -5 maudefindlay said:

And Indiana is currently working to pass a bill to pay for gun training for teachers. Guns have been allowed in classrooms here for 2 years now. I want it to be made public who has a gun in their room. I want my kids at a gun free school. Those "My Freedoms" folks can have their own damn schools.

I’m fundamentally opposed to homeschooling, but allowing teachers to carry guns would be the circumstance in which I switched to it. No way would I allow my child in a school where guns are allowed (or a home, or a store…).

[mpm]

Feb 22, 2023 16:24:06 GMT -5 akayf said:

Holy crap! After the kid found it and told their teacher, the teacher sent the kid along with another student to double check if it really was a gun.

The student told his teacher about the firearm, and the teacher sent the boy and another student to "go and be sure that's what he found," Jones said Tuesday. The two students went to the bathroom and "once it was determined that's what it was, they went straight to the superintendent's office," he said.


www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna71567

Omfg. Haven’t we all taught our children to run as fast as possible as far as they can possibly get away from a suspected gun to a safe adult?! My child would never be returning to this school.

[UMaineTeach]

From the NBC News link

“No one to my knowledge called for his resignation. And the board certainly did not. We were very supportive and we were trying to work through it."

This whole thing is indescribable. But the idea that no one cared to even fire the guy.

Like, if you go down the bat shit crazy path that guns at school are ok, minimum requirement should be that if you are negligent with the gun, you don’t work here anymore. End of discussion.

I’d rather have my kid “groomed” while trying to be inclusive than “groomed” to think that this is an example of responsible gun ownership.

[maudefindlay]

Feb 22, 2023 18:26:56 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

Feb 22, 2023 18:14:13 GMT -5 maudefindlay said:

And Indiana is currently working to pass a bill to pay for gun training for teachers. Guns have been allowed in classrooms here for 2 years now. I want it to be made public who has a gun in their room. I want my kids at a gun free school. Those "My Freedoms" folks can have their own damn schools.

I’m fundamentally opposed to homeschooling, but allowing teachers to carry guns would be the circumstance in which I switched to it. No way would I allow my child in a school where guns are allowed (or a home, or a store…).

Same. So far I'm not aware of any teachers who carry.

[AJL]

JFC! This is exactly why (among hundreds of other reasons) there should be NO GUNS IN SCHOOLS. What the hell, man!? Fucking Texas.

[RoxMonster]

Feb 22, 2023 18:21:37 GMT -5 heygrey said:

“ Stuteville told NBC affiliate KRBC of Abilene, Texas, that he was using the restroom and placed his gun in the stall. He said it was left unattended for about 15 minutes until the student found it.”

Is it common for staff and students to share a washroom? This is minor compared to the gun, but this would not fly in my district. It’s a rule to both protect students and prevent accusations against staff.

I can't speak for other schools, but at the HS where I taught, there was one single-stall faculty restroom at the end of the upstairs hallway. There was no way as a teacher we could all get down to use that bathroom during the 3 minutes we had during passing period and we couldn't leave classes unattended to use the RR during class. It was hard to find someone to come cover for you. So yes, I made a mad dash to the public RR near my classroom during passing period just so I could pee during the day. And I'm luckier than many teachers like elementary who don't get passing periods to go to the RR when they need to.

[arehopsveggies]

Feb 22, 2023 18:21:37 GMT -5 heygrey said:

“ Stuteville told NBC affiliate KRBC of Abilene, Texas, that he was using the restroom and placed his gun in the stall. He said it was left unattended for about 15 minutes until the student found it.”

Is it common for staff and students to share a washroom? This is minor compared to the gun, but this would not fly in my district. It’s a rule to both protect students and prevent accusations against staff.

I use our tiny child sized bathroom because I never have time to walk across the school to an adult sized toilet….

[picksthemusic]

I want to be sick. Having my own 3rd grader, I know how this would affect him and how traumatizing this would be to him. I can't even imagine something like this happening without strict and swift consequences.

[Deleted]

Feb 23, 2023 9:19:35 GMT -5 arehopsveggies said:

Feb 22, 2023 18:21:37 GMT -5 heygrey said:

“ Stuteville told NBC affiliate KRBC of Abilene, Texas, that he was using the restroom and placed his gun in the stall. He said it was left unattended for about 15 minutes until the student found it.”

Is it common for staff and students to share a washroom? This is minor compared to the gun, but this would not fly in my district. It’s a rule to both protect students and prevent accusations against staff.

I use our tiny child sized bathroom because I never have time to walk across the school to an adult sized toilet….

But if you were the Superintendent visiting a school, you’d have time to use whatever washroom was designated for adults, right? And presumably, you’d not leave your fucking gun in the bathroom.

[whattheheck]

No danger “other than the obvious”?!?!? Isn’t “the obvious” what we live in fear of? Out of curiosity, what would be the non-obvious danger of an unattended, loaded gun left accessible to young children?

[Jalapeñomel]

Feb 23, 2023 10:47:21 GMT -5 picksthemusic said:

I want to be sick. Having my own 3rd grader, I know how this would affect him and how traumatizing this would be to him. I can't even imagine something like this happening without strict and swift consequences.

This shit terrifies me. My son would have nightmares for weeks if t this happened.

[basilosaurus]

Feb 24, 2023 9:16:47 GMT -5 whattheheck said:

No danger “other than the obvious”?!?!? Isn’t “the obvious” what we live in fear of? Out of curiosity, what would be the non-obvious danger of an unattended, loaded gun left accessible to young children?

Right. The obvious is an unattended gun is found and used and a kid (or more) ends up dead. That's the entirety of why this is a huge fucking deal.

[sonrisa]

Feb 24, 2023 9:16:47 GMT -5 whattheheck said:

No danger “other than the obvious”?!?!? Isn’t “the obvious” what we live in fear of? Out of curiosity, what would be the non-obvious danger of an unattended, loaded gun left accessible to young children?

bathroom germs on the gun? Whatever they are, they pale in comparison.

[wildrice]

Feb 24, 2023 9:16:47 GMT -5 whattheheck said:

No danger “other than the obvious”?!?!? Isn’t “the obvious” what we live in fear of? Out of curiosity, what would be the non-obvious danger of an unattended, loaded gun left accessible to young children?

I am guessing they mean that there wasn't anyone who brought the gun to school with the intent of shooting anyone? To differentiate from an active shooter situation.

Regardless, this is appalling. Fucking Texas! though this could have happened in a number of states, of course. We live in a ridiculous country.