Gun Safety Storage Resolution Approved By LCPS Board, School Violence Concerns Voiced

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — As security and gun violence are lingering concerns in schools, the Loudoun County School Board unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday promoting safe gun storage at home.

Algonkian District representative April Chandler had introduced the resolution in light of the school shooting in Georgia that killed two students and two teachers. Loudoun County Public Schools has dealt with its own threats of school violence in the early school year, prompting a response from school officials and law enforcement.

"Last month, when the first round of online threats of violence targeting our schools became public, I spent hours with my child and her close friends, sharing with them what I could about the safety mechanisms we have in place in our division to keep them safe," Chandler shared about the resolution after the vote. "They didn’t want to go to school because they were afraid. There is no denying that the fear of gun violence at school has an impact on our students. This is one of the reasons I was motivated to bring the resolution forward."

According to LCPS, the resolution seeks to provide parents with information about Virginia state laws on firearm storage. The resolution cites an estimated 4.6 million American children living in homes with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm and an estimated 1,200 children and teens die by suicide with a gun annually, most often with a relative's gun. In school violence situations, research shows juvenile school shooters often use a relative's gun, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. A study published by the National Institutes of Health indicates unintentional shootings by children are lower in states with safe gun storage laws.

"The most important aspect of this effort is to get information into the hands of the people who can make the most impact," said Chandler in a statement. "I want to thank my fellow Board Members for their support of this important measure to keep our students safe."

The resolution directs the LCPS superintendent and staff to update the student handbook with information about parent obligation to safely store guns. In addition, the superintendent will notify parents and guardians in the importance of safe gun storage and laws about keeping minors from accessing guns. The notification will be part of annual registration materials distributed at each school.

The school board received several public comments supporting the safe gun storage resolution, including from Del. Kannan Srinivasan (D-Loudoun). However, public comment ended early when several speakers mentioned WJLA's reported claim of an armed student who threatened a student in 2023 at a Loudoun County middle school and now attends high school. When comments about the student came up, Chair Melinda Mansfield said public comments cannot discuss a specific student due to confidentiality parent consent requirements.

"Personally identifiable information is any information that a reasonable person can link together and pinpoint individual students, and it's not only restricted to students' names," Mansfield told a public speaker.

Once the school board returned after public comment was halted, members expressed support for the resolution.

"I am a gun owner, and I am also the parent of two elementary school students in LCPS, and I'm thrilled to hear all the people who said, well yes, safe storage is common sense," said at-large member Anne Donohue. "I'm glad to hear people say that, but the facts show that a lot of people are not responsibly storing their firearms in a safe way, which is why I think it is appropriate for the division to put out some of that information to the community just like we do about the opioid crisis, just like we do about the mental health crisis, just like we do about other threats to the safety and security of our children and the families in our county."

Catoctin District representive Kari LaBell said she was disappointed Donohue's suggestion for a gun safety class on the student curriculum never advanced but expressed support for the resolution. She introduced an amendment to add a link to LCPS web page on gun safety.

"While a resolution is less effective than direct instruction, I have no problem with that," said LaBell. "This resolution contains factual information demonstrating why proper gun safety storage is important in keeping our schools safe."

Ashburn District representative Deana Griffiths expressed support for creating "safe environments for our children" but mentioned concerns about requiring parent signatures on the gun storage information. School staff confirmed the final version of the resolution will not require parent signatures. However, LCPS has the option of adding it to the ParentVUE system, where parents acknowledge the information by clicking on it.

Leesburg District representative Lauren Shernoff said she had discussions with staff about the signatures, as collecting information on gun owners would not be legal.

"The required signature was creating some angst in our community about what that meant," said Shernoff.

On the resolution, Shernoff said, "I'm really just asking that we as a community come together right now and really think about the safety of our kids, and we partner together. I think that this is important. I think that safe storing their guns is common sense."

Superintendent Aaron Spence and school board Chair Melinda Mansfield released a statement following the meeting to address the public comment session and speakers discussing a specific student.

Below is the full statement:

Student privacy is a core value for Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), legally and morally, and we are committed to upholding it with the highest standards. It is the division’s practice to not publicly discuss any specific student’s information, whether it pertains to academic records, health, or discipline. Without full context or knowledge of the situation or of LCPS’ response, local media has recently been reporting on incidents surrounding a specific student, known and identifiable within the student’s school and surrounding community. We have been clear that we cannot discuss individual students and their circumstances with the media, and they are well aware of the federal and state privacy laws that prevent us from doing so.

At the October 8, 2024 School Board meeting, a number of individuals sought to discuss what was reported in the media and discuss a specific student despite repeated requests from the Board Chair not to do so. As a result, the Board Chair concluded public comment to restore order, in accordance with School Board public comment procedures.

Let us be clear: LCPS will not support a forum where information about specific students is discussed publicly. We cannot allow our students’ safety, privacy, or well-being to be used as talking points at Board meetings or in the media to advance what appears to be a political agenda.

Misinformation is on the rise, and school divisions like LCPS must be vigilant in actively combating it. It is our responsibility to call out misinformation when allegations are incorrect, unsubstantiated, or deliberately used to create division within our community. While local media or social media may share inaccurate or incomplete information, LCPS will not be drawn into these unverified exchanges.

We cannot emphasize enough: allegations are not facts. Allowing unverified information to spread in a public forum, particularly one offered by the School Board, would be irresponsible. When media outlets or individuals make claims without naming or verifying sources, they do a disservice not just to the individuals involved but to the entire community. This is particularly dangerous when it involves our children and their safety.

As we have stated before, LCPS is vigilant and we would not ask parents to send their children to school if we had specific or credible concerns about their safety. LCPS's safety measures are comprehensive and multi-layered. We collaborate closely with law enforcement and legal counsel to ensure we meet the highest standards of safety. Some security measures are visible, while others must remain confidential to maintain their effectiveness. However, rest assured that we take every concern seriously and address them promptly and in accordance with state and federal law, School Board policy and division regulations.

LCPS will continue to remain focused on prioritizing student safety, student privacy, addressing misinformation, and creating a secure, supportive environment where every student can learn and thrive.