Posted on 04/13/2018 11:08:23 AM PDT by Simon Green
Another Pennsylvania school district adopted an unorthodox approach this month to fighting back against armed intruders — this time, in the form of tiny wooden bats.
Millcreek Township School District in suburban Erie handed out the 16-inch “souvenir bats” to more than 500 teachers and staff on April 2 after updating its security plan in the wake of high-profile school shootings across the country. The district serves more than 7,400 students and spent roughly $1,800 on the bats.
Superintendent William Hall defended the decision Thursday after media reports surfaced mocking the district’s approach.
“We hope the day will never come that our staff will have to defend students and themselves,” he said. “However, we want our staff to know that in a life and death situation, an attack option may be necessary and to use any available tool at their disposal.”
Hall reiterated the bats serve as a last-resort, only authorized for use in a “hard lockdown” situation, in addition to whatever else staff could utilize as a weapon — including chairs, staplers, books and fire extinguishers.
“It is not the primary deterrent, but rather it is something that may be used in an emergency situation, and symbolizes our intent to take an active approach to defending our students and staff under threat,” he said.
Millcreek is just the second school district in the state to adopt an unusual attack plan against active shooters. Blue Mountain School District, about 90 miles east of Philadelphia, placed five gallon buckets of river rocks in all of its classrooms last month as a “last resort” for teachers in an emergency situation.
“If an armed attacker attempts to gain access to our classroom, they will face a students armed with rocks and they will be stoned,” said Superintendent David Helsel last month. “They are the right size for hands. You can throw them very hard and they will create or cause pain, which can distract.”
Teachers may even be authorized to run with scissors, if necessary.
Can you imagine the law suits if the jihadis slaughter those kids in that school ? This is such a joke ,it will attract shooters.
Tiny bats which will be locked up until needed, cough, are known in teaching circles as a better bet against a crazed shooter than pistols whose bullets are slower the ASSAULT rifles rounds...
I like it. If a shooter corners you, fight like hell with whatever you can find. Many hero soldiers have died (some triumphed) that way.
You hit yourself with the bat to take your mind off the pain of a gunshot wound.
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Public schools have WAY outlived their usefulness. It's past time to SHUT THEM DOWN.
There’s a company called Monadnock that makes a good striking implement... Much more effective than that little toy!
What’s wrong with a bucket of rocks?
Isn’t that pathetic? we have just become a nation of old women. Where I live , if you brandish a weapon in a school as an intruder you are going to die very shortly and it won’t be from a 16 inch stick.
Was this policy thought up by a moonbat?
You don't want it to be the smartest student in the class.
The first rule of a gunfight is bring a gun. :-)
These tiny bats should be quite effective against tiny shooters.
Something similar to this has already been tried and proven successful. The Nuns at my elementary school wouldn’t hesitate to give a good whack with a ruler if you were acting up. Sure kept my ass in line. Bet any badguy coming into that school would have been swept up in a frenzy of black robes, Hail Mary’s, swinging rulers, yardsticks and whatever else those sweet old ladies could get their hands on.
Kind of miss the Nuns, I usually needed those beatings - and probably still do.
Went to public school, and then to a Catholic elementary school after school to our Catechism classes.
The nuns scared the beejeebers out of us.
And they used those rulers VERY effectively.
You felt the pain before you heard the sound.
Tiny Batter
Blue jean baby, PA lady, teacher for the class
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you who dispense the hallway pass
NEA-member, you must remember, guns are not fun
So rather than have one, a tiny bat will have to get the job done
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