PA Teachers Get Wood Bats As Reminder They Can Now Fight Shooters

ERIE, PA — Teachers in Erie, Pennsylvania, aren't expected to fend off a school shooter, but should the need arise, they now have a tool to help them fight back — a small wooden bat, courtesy of the school district. Amid a national conversation about whether teachers should be armed, the Millcreek Township School District last week changed its philosophy on how teachers should handle a shooting scenario.

William Hall, superintendent of the district, recently handed out the bats to teachers and faculty members. He told the Erie Times-News he wanted classrooms to have a "consistent tool" available in case teachers were forced to fight.

“The bats are more symbolic than anything,” Hall said.

Photos provided to Patch by a teacher in the district, who did not wish to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter, shows they're roughly 18 inches in length and a shade of navy blue.

All of the district’s roughly 500 teachers received a bat during the school shooting response training. Prior to last week, teachers were told to turn off the lights, hide and wait for the crisis to end. Now, they have three options: run, hide or fight back.

The bat is meant to serve as a reminder that teachers should be aware of their surroundings and can use whatever is necessary to confront or distract a potential shooter. This could include fire extinguishers, chairs and even books.

The main lesson: Don't freeze, have a plan of action.

If nothing else, the teachers now have a small wooden bat that they're supposed to keep locked away inside each classroom.

The district has added additional security measures at school entrances.

The president of the local teachers union said he supported the change, which comes less than two months after the Valentine's Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people were killed.

At least some of the teachers in the Fort LeBoeuf School District, which serves various parts of Erie County, received Smith and Wesson batons, according to YourErie.com. A report last year said optional safety baton training sessions were offered to faculty and staff. The batons, which were distributed to every participant, would be placed in every classroom and non-instructional room in the district, the report said.

Just last month, the Blue Mountain School District in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, said it would arm its teachers and students with buckets of rocks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photos contributed to Patch editor Dan Hampton, used with permission