cuchulainn
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Saturday, January 18, 2003 12:20AM EST
Hunt students can continue bringing guns to school
The Associated Press
WILSON, N.C.(AP) - Students enrolled in Hunt High School's weapons safety program can continue bringing firearms on campus despite complaints from parents, state officials said.
"We found that everything they're doing (at Hunt) is within legal guidelines," state Department of Public Instruction representative Cynthia Floyd said Thursday. The DPI began looking into the program last month after it received complaints from some parents about students bringing firearms to school.
According to state and federal law, students can have weapons on school campuses for ROTC or weapons safety classes but must be supervised at all times.
"Our only concern is the liability issue," Floyd said Friday. "Should an accident occur during the class, the school might be held responsible."
Wilson County Sheriff's Deputy Hilton Best runs the school's program. Best said he is not worried about the students he knows bringing guns on campus.
"I'm more concerned about the students who bring guns on campus that I don't know about," he said.
Hunt is one of many schools that compete in the annual N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission hunter education tournament. To compete, a school must offer a basic or advanced hunter education program. Best attended instructor courses offered through the commission to teach students at Hunt.
Last year, Hunt took top honors at the tournament.