Bringing A Gun To School Could Mean More Than A Year Expulsion Under Proposal

State Rep. Steve Harshman, R-Casper, says Wyoming needs to be tougher on students who bring guns to school.

His House Bill 37 would allow school boards to expel students for longer than a year if they bring a deadly weapon to school. There is now a one-year cap on all public school expulsions in Wyoming.

But in some cases, that’s not enough, Harshman told Cowboy State Daily.

“There’s no way for school boards to say, ‘OK junior, this isn’t funny,’” Harshman said. “It’s a real-life issue.

“An expulsion can only last for a year and after that services have to be provided. This provides a little more discretion to the school board on how they want to provide those services.”

Harshman wants school boards to have the flexibility to remove a student from school for more than a year if they deem that appropriate.

Bring Your Gun To School Day

The issue of kids bringing guns to school in Wyoming isn’t new.

Last September, a Rock Springs High School student was found with a gun during an evacuation drill. The underage student was arrested as a result.

About seven months before that, a Gillette 16-year-old who had already been expelled from Campbell County High School allegedly snuck back in the school and flashed a handgun. That student was charged as an adult with felony possession of a deadly weapon. In 2014, a 14-year-old Gillette junior high student brought a weapon and ammunition to school, and threatened to kill people. He’s since said getting caught and prosecuted saved his life.

A former high school teacher, Harshman said a similar event happened when he was teaching in Casper where students expelled for bringing firearms to school were quickly expelled again when they were allowed to return after a year.

A fake report also came out of Cheyenne East High School in September that a child had been shot at school, which although quickly disproven, did lead to a student being charged with a felony for making terroristic threats during the event.

Although Harshman doesn’t believe events like these are highly common, he sees his legislation as a tool to address them when they arise. Sometimes that means keeping some students out of public school for longer periods of time is appropriate, he said.

“They’re (school boards) looking out for the entire group of students, you’ve got to weigh all these things,” he said. “It’s certainly a tool that would be helpful.”

What Happens?

Typically, when a student is expelled from school, a number of private meetings take place before a final decision is rendered. When school boards decide on these matters, it’s almost always handled in multiple closed-door executive sessions. 

The bill would require a school district to continue providing alternative education services to a student expelled for more than one year through an alternative school, online or a tutor, Harshman said.

Harshman explained to Cowboy State Daily that many expulsions happen as a result of serious acts outside of bringing a weapon to school. His bill wouldn’t cover all expulsions, and would be limited to those where a student brings a firearm to school.

Teachers can be armed in some Wyoming schools where the local school districts allow it.

Legislation is also being brought for the upcoming session that would allow people carrying concealed weapons in Wyoming to carry their firearms in state buildings, public schools and universities. The bill excludes all students.

A different, slightly more restrictive bill would establish an additional “enhanced” permit for people to legally conceal carry firearms in school zones.

Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.