School gives teachers bats to remind them to fight back in a shooting

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Wednesday, April 11, 2018
School district arms teachers with bats
School district arms teachers with bats

ERIE, Pennsylvania -- A Pennsylvania school district has given its teachers small wooden baseball bats as a reminder to fight a school shooter with any weapon available should other options fail.

The superintendent of the Millcreek Township School District says the 16-inch bats are primarily symbolic, but the district did want to have a "consistent tool" for all teachers should they need to fight an attacker.

Superintendent William Hall tells the Erie Times-News the district's revised school shooting response plan puts more emphasis on options other than "hiding and waiting." The president of the local teachers union says he supports the move.

The district, located outside Erie, has also added additional security measures at school entrances.

Last month, another Pennsylvania district said it was arming teachers and students with buckets of rocks.

More armed security following reports of students given rocks. Gray Hall reports during Action News Mornings on March 26, 2018.