Loophole Seen Allowing Guns In Schools
It's against the law to bring a gun to school in the United States. Right? Think again.
In the post-Columbine world, when most schools are ratcheting up their security to guard against gun-toting students, many adults can still bring guns on campus without fear of prosecution. A little-known provision in a 1996 federal law allows adults to carry concealed firearms in schools if they have state- issued permits.
More than half the states, including New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, and Virginia, issue such licenses as long as the applicant is 18 or older, hasn't been convicted of a felony, and can pay a licensing fee that runs about $50. Though a separate law signed by President Clinton calls for suspending students for a year if they bring weapons to school, most adults in those states are legally free to carry handguns and rifles into school classrooms, through crowded hallways, and to football...
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