03/05/2014
An elected school board member’s comment about having an uzi on school property caused so much concern that he’s forbidden from stepping foot on school grounds.
It happened in the Hillsboro R-3 School District in Jefferson County.
9-year Hillsboro School Board member Bo Harrison made an off-handed remark in a school board meeting, but it left many parents with the impression he visits schools with an assault rifle in his car.
“Well Director Harrison’s comment was he did not need to have protection at the meeting, because he could protect himself because he had an uzi in his trunk of his vehicle,” said Superintendent Dr. Aaron Corman.
In this day and age, after so many school shootings, that kind of comment is not taken lightly and many parents support the ban.
“I do support that. I do think that Hillsboro is a good school, sometimes we have bad apples,” said one parent. “And apparently we found a bad apple.”
Harrison’s comments caused parents to wonder if he brought guns to school visits. In a district that stresses no weapons, and one that also had to lock down its high school only weeks ago after a bullet was found,some parents expressed concern about their kids safety.
“we want everyone to know that our kids are safe,” said Corman. “But if you don’t feel that way, it doesn’t matter what the school says, it’s the perception.”
The school board censured and then banned Harrison. He wasn’t home when News 4 went to talk to him, but called later to say his comment was taken out of context and blown out of proportion.
He also believes he’s being treated unfairly. But school officials refute that.
“You know we have policies here and you need to follow those policies because everyone else is required to,” Corman said. “And if a student made that comment or a parent made that comment they would have been banned from campus.”
Harrison said he has never brought a gun onto school property.
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