By ANDY GARDNER

North Country Now

MASSENA -- A concerned parent went in front of the Board of Education on Thursday and said he thinks putting an armed officer in school isn't worth the potential liability and danger.

The district is exploring how to add the law enforcement officer using federal funding, a position district officials refer to as a "school resource officer."

Jeff Wilson, who has two daughters who attend Massena Central, said the officer carrying a firearm presents danger to the students and the district as a whole.

"Who's going to cover the liability if the officer shoots someone, someone of another race, someone with a mental health disability. What if someone with a mental health disability gets triggered?" he said.

He said hiring an armed officer is a step that not even juvenile detention facilities take.

"I have two girls that go here and I'm concerned about having them around an armed officer in this school. The school isn't a prison," Wilson said. "I understand respect for weapons ... but I don't have any of that stuff in my household."

Wilson said he feels like the board may already have made up their minds about whether they are going to hire a police officer.

"I feel like my concerns don't really matter and it feels like the decision is made," Wilson said.

Board vice president Paul Hagget said that isn't the case.

"We have by no means made any kind of decision," Hagget said. "If you were here last month, you'd probably have a better grip on the desperate feelings on the proposal that's out there."

At the December Board of Education meeting, school trustees had a lengthy debate about the school police officer. Of the seven board members present, five of them expressed clear support for whether the district should hire a retired officer or contract with the village to use a current full-time uniformed officer. None clearly indicated opposition to the idea, but Trustee Robert Leblanc expressed reservations about the officer carrying a gun.

"The devil's in the details. Where will the firearm be? Who will maintain it?" Leblanc said Dec. 13. "If we hire someone who is incompetent, we're going to regret it."

More details about the December meeting are in an earlier story here.

Wilson said he was disappointed that only one of the board members, plus Superintendent Pat Brady, responded to an email he sent laying out his concerns with putting an armed cop in school. In it, he called the idea a "horrible plan."

"The lack of response does not mean we didn't read the email. I did read the email and I share some of the concerns you have," Trustee Loren Fountaine said.

Board members thanked Wilson for showing up and speaking and encouraged him to attend an upcoming community forum. They have yet to set a date and time, but plan to invite the public to hear more information about the in-school law enforcement proposal and air opinions.