First school staffer talks about Sheriff Jones’ much-discussed CCW classes

It’s the most talked about “class” in Butler County.

And Monday saw the first school staffer to complete the recently offered and free conceal carry weapon (CCW) class from Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones speak publicly about his experiences in learning how to use a handgun.

Rick Moore - a classroom instructional aide at Edgewood Middle School - told this news outlet the class was “very informative.”

Moore said the sheriff’s class instructor “did a great job, he was realistic and down to earth. I have a much better understanding about what is going on.”

But he said he knows completion of the course doesn’t give him any special powers.

Under Ohio law, local school boards are allowed by a majority board vote to let properly trained school employees carry or have access to handguns while schools. Only a few districts in Ohio have seen their boards take that action.

The Edgewood board in 2013 was the first in Southwest Ohio to allow staffers to apply to carry handguns but has since adopted the more restrictive 2017 Ohio law, which allows CCW trained personnel to keep a handgun in their locked cars on the school campus.

Moore was among the hundreds of area school teachers and employees to take Sheriff Jones up on his offer for free CCW courses in the wake of the Parkland, Fla. school shooting last month that left 17 students and staffers dead.

When asked about carrying weapons on school grounds, Moore said: “If I was asked to be part of a team, I would be on board for that.”

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