Murray Statement on School Safety Commission: “It Is Insulting To Students, Parents, and Teachers That Secretary DeVos Wasted This Opportunity”

Trump Administration school safety commission released report failed to address commonsense gun safety reform, recommended reversing policies aimed at addressing discriminatory discipline practices in schools

Murray: Report “underscores that Secretary DeVos is more interested in pandering to the NRA than listening to the students, parents, and teachers”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement today on the report released by the Trump Administration’s school safety commission. After the Parkland shooting, Senator Murray voiced concerns that the Commission, led by Secretary DeVos, would be nothing more than a distraction and delay from addressing meaningful gun safety measures.

“It is insulting to students, parents, and teachers that Secretary DeVos wasted this opportunity to make some progress on a really important issue. Despite overwhelming evidence and basic common sense, Secretary DeVos is trying to make the case that it’s not weapons of war in schools that make students unsafe, but rather the true danger is schools’ attempts to fight racism and inappropriate discipline. This is mind-boggling and absurd, and it underscores that Secretary DeVos is more interested in pandering to the NRA than listening to the students, parents, and teachers she is supposed to serve. The gun industry itself could not have written a more blatant and obvious distraction from the real problem gun violence poses to students across our country.”

Though the Trump Administration commission on school safety was formed following the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida, the report completely avoids addressing meaningful, commonsense gun safety reform, such as universal background checks for gun purchases. The report also recommends the Departments of Education and Justice roll back Obama Administration guidance aimed at ensuring students of color are not unfairly disciplined more frequently than their peers.

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