Parent sues Gwinnett to carry gun at school
A Gwinnett County parent has filed a lawsuit against the school district claiming it is violating his rights by preventing him from carrying a firearm at his child’s elementary school.
The parent, Phillip Evans, said he contacted the Gwinnett district to see if he could carry a gun at Centerville Elementary School in Snellville. Evans told officials that he believed legislation passed into law earlier this year, House Bill 826, allows licensed gun owners to lawfully carry a firearm on school property.
A Douglas County man filed a similar lawsuit in May, the AJC reported.
A Gwinnett official told Evans he would be committing a crime by carrying a gun at the school. Evans hired attorney John R. Monroe, who filed a lawsuit against the school district on Tuesday.
District officials said licensed gun owners cannot carry a firearm on school-owned or leased property. The gun owner must keep the firearm in a locked compartment of the vehicle, when picking up a child on school grounds, Gwinnett officials said, citing another bill signed into law this year, House Bill 60.
About the Author
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He currently writes about higher education and has assisted in the newsroom’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
