Debate regarding armed teachers, staff rages on in Madison Township

Mike Schell

Fox19

Members of the Butler County Sheriff's Office respond to Madison Local Schools in February 2016 after student James Austin Hancock shot two other students in the school cafeteria. On Feb. 15, 2018, one day after a mass shooting at a Florida High School, a Madison schools student was charged with aggravated menacing for saying she was going to get a gun and become "another Austin Hancock."

MADISON TOWNSHIP, OH (FOX19) – About 200 people gathered at Madison High School on Friday to have their say on the issue of arming teachers.

The debate has divided the small community, and on Friday, the school board heard passionate pleas from both sides.

The board passed a resolution back in April to allow teachers to voluntarily carry weapons. This came after a shooting at the school in 2016 where 14-year-old James Austin Hancock carried a gun into the school's cafeteria and shot and injured two of his fellow classmates.

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That touched off the great debate in Madison Township.

"Train them and arm them," said a meeting attendee on one side of the debate.

"Filling our schools with people carrying loaded firearms will not make our children safer," said a person on the other side of the debate.

After Friday evening's meeting, school board officials said they will discuss what was said and make a final decision on allowing teachers and school staffers to carry guns at a later date.

Enquirer media partner Fox19 provided this report.