Guns don't "just go off".
It's called responsibility for her actions, or lack of actions. She didn't get thrown under the bus. She walked right out in front of it.
If you cannot safely carry a firearm in a school environment, you don't belong armed in the school environment.
If some idiot ND's on the range, they lose their privilege too. it sounds like your gun club is welcoming of unsafe gun handlers, no wonder they seem to congregate there......
My gun club is a private club. Members get the combo to the gate and can shoot between 9 AM and dusk. There is no range officer assigned to monitor, other than on Sundays when it is trap shooting day. And I have seen goofballs at pretty much every range I have been to. And don't get me started on gun stores!
And I agree if you can't safely carry a weapon in a school, that you shouldn't be armed in a school. No need to take her job. Take away her carry privledges. Reprimand her in some other way. By her principal's account, she was a fine teacher. So why should the kids lose one like that? She wasn't waving it around class or the faculty room. Lose her livelihood? Nope.
I'd go a step further and say if you can't safely handle a weapon, that you shouldn't carry one at all. But nobody here would support that. How many people here have had negligent discharges? or not even an ND. Just did something stupid. handled a weapon during a ceasefire at a range? Swept the clerk at the gun shop counter? Been armed in a bar?
I never followed the story other than the initial article, but I hope for this woman's sake that the school allowed the carry in response to Newtown, like others did, and I highly doubt they did any sort of training for the teachers. Carrying armed to protect yourself is NOT the same as carrying armed to be a protector of children. Does Utah even have a required course to show proper gun handling before getting a permit? I know here in PA, you don't need a thing. I saw a mentally challenged person walking around with a cocked and locked 1911. This woman might literally have had NO experience with a firearm.
The OP would know more about the qualifications the school mandates.
As for negligence in gun handling, go to your local range and tell me how many bullet marks you see on the walls, floors, and ceilings. You're telling me they were AIMING at the ceiling? Just because nobody got hurt, does that make it any less negligent? They obviously pulled the trigger when they didn't intent to. How many people here have been hit by bullet fragments at a range? it was either here or on another forum a couple of days ago that a poster talked about it. Lots of people commented it happened to them, too. Were they shooting at steel plates too close? What kind of ammo was being used? Sounds negligent to me!
Police locker rooms have bullet holes in wall too. Ask me how I know that.
Bill Jordan, Marine Colonel, Border Patrolman, and survivor of many shootouts, not to mention a world class shooter, shot and killed a colleague while sitting at his desk. Did he lose his job? Nope.
I have kids in school, too. Their school doesn't allow teachers to carry. I'm a retired cop and a teacher now and I wouldn't carry at work if they allowed me. Too much can go wrong.
And frankly, this thread is kind of loopey. Carrying armor piercing bullets? Briefcases that turn into body armor? Taking head shots? How's he gonna do that while 300 screaming kids are in his line of fire, and he is scared out of his mind? What if he tries to shoot a bad guy and hits a kid (likely, almost guarenteed)? Is he negligent that he didn't check his background? What's one of the cardinal rules of safe gun handling again? Know your backstop? Sounds negligent to me!
Just get a good pocket holster and call it a day. There is no perfect solution to his problem, although he is hoping to find one.
And if he wants a gun choice, I say Ruger LC9-S. Light and thin. 9 MM (better than .380). manual safety AND a magazine disconnect. Personally, I would carry one round chambered, and 7 round magazine out of gun in another pocket. Gun grabs will not be an issue since the gun is deactivated. I can pocket carry mine easily. I think the velcro sewn into the top is a great idea to keep the pocket closed.