A West Virginia school district is training its students to counter school shootings in a manner that leaves open the option to physically confront the shooter.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that schools in Kanawha County School District are now learning under the ALICE Training Institute’s program, which teaches the “run, hide, fight” method. If students cannot exit a room safely or barricade the door, the program says, students should counter the attacker by throwing objects at them or swarming them.
Campus safety advocate Michael Dorn says he has concerns with ALICE’s teachings and that correctly applied, traditional lockdowns are very successful. The U.S. Department of Education doesn’t recommend teaching students to confront a shooter.
Executive Safety Director of Kanawha Schools Keith Vititoe says the fighting strategy is a last resort.