A Georgia high school athletic director was suspended after defending himself by restraining a student who possessed a loaded gun in school.
The Tri-Cities High School coach, Kenneth Miller, told News 19 that he didn’t feel like he did anything wrong, adding that he only adhered to what Fulton County School Board Policy says you’re allowed to do.
On Aug. 20 last year, Miller was called to the school’s principal office to answer questions about reports of students on campus with guns, according to Fox News 5.
“During that process, we located guns. We saved lives,” Miller told Fox 5.
Miller confronted one female student in the presence of police officers, who were unaware the student had a gun on her at the time of the confrontation.
In the middle of the confrontation, the female student hit Miller with a stapler, according to News 19’s report. Miller then grabbed and restrained the girl until cops stepped in and took her into custody.
Cops later discovered a loaded gun inside the girl’s backpack. According to Mille, officers also found another gun that day, but it’s unclear if the gun belongs to the same girl.
“I’m OK with him standing up for those children,” a supporter of Miller, Kavon Smith Arnold, told Fox 5. “What I’m not okay with is him being railroaded, because at the end of the day teachers are put in very uncompromising positions to take care of our children.”
The school district initially fired Miller before reversing the decision to a suspension which has lasted months, News 19 reported.
“The district administration does not support Mr. Miller’s actions relating to this event and believes his conduct failed to meet the professional expectations it has for employees. Mr. Miller inappropriately intervened in a student matter being handled by school administrators and law enforcement. Mr. Miller acted outside of the scope of his authority and responsibilities,” Fulton County Schools said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday.
“Mr. Miller’s conduct resulted in an escalation of a physical altercation with a student in crisis, which conflicts with district expectations to deescalate in these types of situations. Mr. Miller has not exhausted his due process rights at this time and remains on full, paid administrative leave.”
Miller’s lawyer called on school systems to support teachers who “get put in terribly dangerous situations.”
“Those teachers are our first line of defense against guns and other types of terrible violence that happens in schools,” Miller’s lawyer said.
