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A school district in Pennsylvania, United States, has equipped 500 teachers with mini baseball bats as a safety measure.
Millcreek Township School District (MTSD) spent a total of $1,800 for 16-inch bats that were provided to all teachers as a tool for defense. The MTSD also facilitated a training session for teachers to teach them what to do should a shooting happen inside schools. These initiatives were implemented after the shooting incident at a high school in Parkland, Florida, last February.
MTSD superintendent William Hall explained that the mini bats could be a weapon against an attacker. The bats will also serve as a reminder for teachers to fight back and do everything they can to defend themselves and their students. Hall added that the bats are part of a contingency plan and will be used only in the event of a lockdown.
In addition to distributing bats to teachers, the MTSD also tightened up its security measures in school entrances and built a barricade around school walkways.
The MTSD is not the only school district in Pennsylvania that took a defensive stance toward school shooting incidents. Last March, Blue Mountain School District (BMSD) decided to arm not only its teachers but also its students with rocks. All classrooms in BMSD schools have a five-gallon bucket of river stones, which can be used the moment an attacker breaks in.
BMSD officials believe that throwing rocks at armed intruders is better than other safety measures like crawling under desks. This is because using rocks allows teachers and students to protect themselves from attacks.