Teacher Arrested For Bringing Gun To School

[jaysong]

http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=0,62419


10/25/2007
Teacher Arrested For Bringing Gun To School
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A Sibley, Iowa teacher is in trouble after sheriff's officials say he brought a loaded handgun onto school property.

They found it in 45-year old Joseph Bradfield's car at the high school last month. But he wasn't arrested and charged until yesterday.

The Osceola county sheriff says a student at Sibley-Ocheyedan High School tipped them off. And that's when they found a loaded 44 caliber handgun in the passenger side of Joseph Bradfield's car in the parking lot. He was inside teaching english.

"In this day and age with school shootings and so forth, it could be a potential problem, so we take it seriously," Said Sheriff Doug Weber.

He says Bradfield had a permit to carry a concealed weapon and they don't believe anybody at the school was in danger. Sonia Ernst, whose daughter is a senior, was shocked by the incident and how long it took to arrest Bradfield.

"The concern for children and the other teachers with all the shootings that have been happening. I surprised there wasn't something done sooner these 3 weeks. Something could have happened, it could have been another tragedy," Said Ernst.

She is frustrated with the school for allowing Bradfield to teach after discovering the gun. She also wishes the school had told parents what happened.

"I think there will be a lot of parents concerned that this incident happened and it happened 3 weeks ago and we were not informed on the matter. This is a serious matter and I think it would've been nice to have been informed," Said Ernst.

The school superintendent suspended Bradfield with pay as he waits for more information about the incident.

The prosecutor tells KELOLAND News there was not a delay in arresting Bradfield. He faces up to 5 years in prison and a $7,500 fine if found guilty. Sheriff Weber has revoked Bradfield's permit for carrying a concealed weapon.

[ttousi]

take a chill pill sonia..............he's one of the good guys. Should something have happened and he saved the kids would you still talk the same.

He says Bradfield had a permit to carry a concealed weapon and they don't believe anybody at the school was in danger. Sonia Ernst, whose daughter is a senior, was shocked by the incident and how long it took to arrest Bradfield.

"The concern for children and the other teachers with all the shootings that have been happening. I surprised there wasn't something done sooner these 3 weeks. Something could have happened, it could have been another tragedy," Said Ernst.

She is frustrated with the school for allowing Bradfield to teach after discovering the gun. She also wishes the school had told parents what happened.

"I think there will be a lot of parents concerned that this incident happened and it happened 3 weeks ago and we were not informed on the matter. This is a serious matter and I think it would've been nice to have been informed," Said Ernst.

[cmj685]

I sincerely hope that loaded gun was not sitting in the car in such a manner that a student simply walking by the car could look in and see it sitting there. If so, I have no sympathy for this guy whatsoever. Leaving a gun anywhere in public unattended is an invitation to having it stolen, and anyone who does so should pay the consequences. If the school does not allow weapons on the premises, then you either leave it home or you carry it concealed (depending on your ethics and willingness to pay the consequences if caught), but you do not leave it laying in a car....EVER!

[Jeff Bergquist]

The curious part of the story is that a student tipped off the police or administrators. This indicates at least a lack of discretion on the teacher's part.

The hand wringing parental anguish would be laughable if it weren't so common. "Oh my god he had a gun in his car while he was at work! Save us!"

[Pakrat]

So, with a tip of a student, the police got a search warrant for the car? Am I missing something...

Based on what little information given, I think there is a possibility of a lawsuit.

[CraigJS]

If the gun was left out for the world to see, the teacher is an idiot. If the teacher let it be known that he carries or that he had a gun in his car, he's an idiot. I don't see anything about a warrant. Was it sitting out in plain sight? Was this a warrantless search? What are the Iowa state laws about carry on school grounds? And lastly if the teacher was trying to conceal the gun in the car (poorly at best), why was this "good" student walking through the lot looking into cars??
As in most accounts like this, I think we've only heard PART of the story..
Be safe.

[GregM]

And now I suppose he will lose his job. Man, what a total disaster.

[Fiery Red XIII]

If the gun was left out for the world to see, the teacher is an idiot. If the teacher let it be known that he carries or that he had a gun in his car, he's an idiot. I don't see anything about a warrant. Was it sitting out in plain sight? Was this a warrantless search? What are the Iowa state laws about carry on school grounds? And lastly if the teacher was trying to conceal the gun in the car (poorly at best), why was this "good" student walking through the lot looking into cars??
As in most accounts like this, I think we've only heard PART of the story..
Be safe.

And with the state of the media, all we get is the agenda part of any story.

Red

[jfbradfield]

Yes, thank you Red. This is Joe Bradfield. And no, it was no surprise that the media got most of it wrong. It was my understanding that a press release was sent out even before the sheriff's office took action. And then no one questioned the information. But you know what? All of them took it down when they found out it was wrong. KSFY, KELO, KMEG, KCAU -- all took down the story.

The back story here is that the Superintendent and I did not get along. I was going through an ugly divorce. She and I both worked at the school. She left, and I didn't. But it stayed ugly and went on for two years. I can't prove that's his reason, but he had told me a few months earlier he would find a way to get rid of me. And he did at that time say my divorce was "a negative influence on the district." So this was not the first thing he had accused me of that I had to come to the office to defend myself about. Some allegations were ridiculous, but it didn't matter what I said. He was convinced I needed to go.

On that horrible, horrible day when this all went down, truthfully, I did not think about having my concealed carry in the truck. I had been taking my motorcycle to school and for whatever reason, that day I was running late, didn't want to bother with the motorcycle cover, and just hopped in my pickup. Oh, how I wish I wouldn't have taken my pickup. Completely caught me off guard when out of the blue when I was called to the office and asked about a gun no one could possibly have seen. Only my ex-wife knew that when I took long trips, I stowed my carry weapon in the truck. My ex (at that time still in the process of divorce) was another employee at the school, and she was in the office nearly every day making things rough.

The gun was in a holster. It was in the fold down console of my F150, which was latched and folded "up" at the time (it becomes part of the seat back when it is folded up like that). My truck was locked, and it was in the north parking lot away from any students. Nothing on that side of the school except the bus maintenance barn.

It was not a .44. It was not seen by a student. Ever.

And, even then, transportation of weapons on school grounds is not illegal for the shooting instructor -- which I was at that time. The law does not stipulate a time frame for when a person authorized to carry guns on a school grounds is authorized to do so.

No conviction. No time. No fines. No termination from my job. (Turns out that wouldn't have worked anyway, because the felony in question did not have anything to do directly with my job as a teacher. And the school had already said they never believed I was a threat to anyone. So what was the cause for termination?). Again, no student saw the gun. It was my loaded concealed carry, but it was locked up in my vehicle completely out of sight. I had been taking my motorcycle to school and didn't think about "Oh, what about the handgun locked out of sight in my console." There is more to the story there, but I would risk being sued and bringing this to court again -- after it bankrupted me the first time.

Rather than return to a hostile work environment, I took a settlement and left the position.

I loved being an English teacher. I had done it for a quarter century. But I have a very rewarding job now as an international photojournalist. I like to say it this way: I *used* to be a boring old English teacher. But now I have a really cool story and I have a dream job.

And yes, I still teach kids how to shoot and hunt. I just don't do it as a professional instructor anymore.

[cobb]

Usually I think WOW, who or why was this antique thread resurrected.
In this instant, I understand.

Thanks jfbradfield for the clarification.

[TTS]

Usually I think WOW, who or why was this antique thread resurrected.
In this instant, I understand.

Thanks jfbradfield for the clarification.

A big +1