Legislation filed last week in Texas would allow teachers to use deadly force in order to protect school property, the Houston Chronicle reported.
State Rep. Dan Flynn (R), who’s previously fought to roll back concealed handgun license requirements, filed the Teacher’s Protection Act authorizing educators to use deadly force to protect themselves or another person on school grounds.
The bill would also authorize the use of deadly force to protect school property and shield any teacher who uses deadly force from prosecution should they cause injury or death.
Texas law already offers immunity from discipline to teachers who use “reasonable” force against a student, according to the Chronicle. State law also allows any adult to carry a firearm in a school with the principal’s permission.
A lobbyist with the Association of Texas Professional Educators, Monty Exter, told the Chronicle that the protections in Flynn’s bill are not “any different than the protection that exists in law for a regular citizen.”
