Rules Of Classroom Engagement

To the chief counsel of the Idaho State Legislature:

In light of the bill permitting guns on our state's college and university campuses, which is likely to be approved by the state House of Representatives in the coming days, I have a matter of practical concern that I hope you can help with: When may I shoot a student?

I am a biology professor, not a lawyer, and I had never considered bringing a gun to work until now.  But since many of my students are likely to be armed, I thought it would be a good idea to even the playing field.

I have had encounters with disgruntled students over the years, some of whom seemed quite upset, but I always assumed that when they reached into their backpacks they were going for a pencil. ...  But now that we'll all be packing heat, I would like legal instruction in the rules of classroom engagement. ...

-- Greg Hampikian, a professor of biology and criminal justice at Boise State University, New York Times Op Ed, 27 February 2014