Ky. attorney pledges $25,000 for school metal detectors, inspires others; schools in state and others get threats

Shane Romines

In the wake of school shootings in Parkland, Fla., and Benton, Ky., an attorney from southeastern Kentucky is inspiring Kentuckians to donate money to put metal detectors and other protective equipment in the state's schools.

"Shane Romines initially offered — via a Friday Facebook post — $25,000 from his Copeland & Romines Law Office in Corbin to buy metal detectors and other equipment for each of the five schools in the Corbin Independent Schools district. He encouraged others to donate in that district or others," Valarie Honeycutt Spears reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader in Kentucky. "As of Monday, about $75,000 had been pledged so far for metal detectors; other equipment, such as Tasers or guns for resource officers or school staff; and training in several districts — if school leaders agree, Romines said. Knox County was the first to accept donations for detectors it plans to install."

Romines, who has two children attending Corbin Independent Schools, said he's willing to fund firearms for school staff to carry firearms if schools are interested. Under current state and federal law in Kentucky, school board members can contract with a teacher or other school staff member to allow them to carry a firearm on school grounds.

Some school districts haven't decided whether they'll take the metal detectors. The superintendent of Corbin Independent Schools said the school board is weight whether to accept the donations. "At least one district and school board — for the 2nd largest district in the state — balked at adding detectors," Honeycutt Spears reports. "Fayette County Public Schools officials studied the possibility of installing metal detectors after weapons were found at schools. But they said in October that it wasn’t feasible or desirable to have hundreds of students each day passing through metal detectors."

The question of metal detectors is particularly salient after a rash of copycat threats made to schools in the aftermath of the recent shootings, in Kentucky and other states such as Indiana, Wisconsin, Florida, and New York.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/education/article200893064.html#emlnl=Afternoon_Newsletter#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/education/article200893064.html#emlnl=Afternoon_Newsletter#storylink=cpy