Mopping floors, emptying waste bins, changing light bulbs — all while armed at the hip.
The custodians in Montpelier Exempted Village Schools in Ohio have been authorized to carry handguns while performing their daily duties.
In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in Newtown, Colo., the board of education in the Williams County school district unanimously voted for four janitors to carry handguns on the K-12 campus,
according to the Toledo Blade.
Officials say having the janitors armed will deter potential violent crimes.
"Sitting back and doing nothing and hoping it doesn't happen to you is just not good policy anymore," Supertendent Jamie Grime told the Blade. "There is a need for schools to beef up their security measures. Having guns in the hands of the right people are not a hindrance. They are a means to protect."
Though the school district had been looking into arming the employees about six months ago, it was the Dec. 14 shooting in Newtown that caused officials to vote on the putting the firearms in the hands of the custodians.
With guidance from Village Police Chief Jeffrey Lehman, and after a review of Ohio’s concealed carry law to determine if it would even be legal, the board approved the resolution 5-0.
Under Ohio law, school boards can authorize employees to carry firearms on school grounds if they pass a conceal-carry requirement.
"This is not something that we decided to do, did it, and then figured out what was right and wrong. It is the right thing to do," Larry Martin, school board president, told the Blade.
The weapons will be purchased by the custodians themselves through a stipend. All four are men and have agreed to carry the guns.
"We will not be forcing this upon anybody," Grime said.
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