'Bulletproof' backpacks OK'd for New Orleans schools; here's why, what to expect -- and what not to
Parents of public school students in New Orleans may soon be able to send their children to school wearing so-called bulletproof backpacks.
On Tuesday, an Orleans Parish School Board committee gave approval to allowing the optional school gear, following action earlier this year by the Legislature that made the items legal.
Kathy Moss, the school district's attorney, said the board isn't required to pass the policy amendment, but the district would like to give families in New Orleans the option.
"Student safety is of the utmost importance," Moss said. "If that's an option parents believe they'd like to provide for their child, then we're just trying to give clarity in our policy to allow it."
The recommendation will go before the full, seven-member board on Thursday, and the proposal appears to have enough votes to pass.
Before Gov. John Bel Edwards signed the act into law, bulletproof backpacks were banned in Louisiana. In the early 1990s, schools were designated as gun-free zones, and state law prevented students or staff members from wearing body armor.
The law now has an exception to the body-armor ban, allowing backpacks with either a metal insert or whole panels constructed with a material used in bulletproof vests, called Kevlar fiber.
The bill was introduced by Sen. Mike Walsworth, a Republican from West Monroe. During debate on the measure, Walsworth said he was reacting to the Valentine's Day massacre of 17 students and staff members at a high school in Parkland, Florida.
The Parkland gunman used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, sparking a nationwide debate about stricter gun control laws and CONTINUE READING: 'Bulletproof' backpacks OK'd for New Orleans schools; here's why, what to expect -- and what not to | Education | theadvocate.com
