Vice President Kamala Harris’ past comments advocating for the removal of police officers from schools have resurfaced, sparking outrage from families of school shooting victims. These families believe Harris’ stance contradicts their experience and prioritizes a political agenda over student safety.
The controversy stems from unearthed footage of Harris, then a California senator, declaring her support for “demilitarizing” schools in a 2019 interview. She argued that removing police officers would address racial disparities in school discipline. “What we need to do about … demilitarizing our schools and taking police officers out of schools. We need to deal with the reality and speak the truth about the inequities around school discipline. Where in particular, Black and Brown boys are being expelled and or suspended as young as, I’ve seen, as young as in elementary school,” Harris said at the time.
Harris’ comments have been met with swift condemnation from families who lost children in school shootings. JT Lewis, whose six-year-old brother Jesse was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, expressed his outrage on X, stating, “My brother was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting because of liberal policies like the one Kamala is pushing here… I wish there had been a police officer there to protect him. Students need more protection, not less!”
Other family members of school shooting victims, including Ryan Petty, who lost his daughter Alaina in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, and Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was also killed in the same shooting, shared similar sentiments, criticizing Harris’ stance as reckless and radical.
Harris’ 2019 comments were made in the context of the national debate surrounding police brutality and racial injustice following the death of George Floyd. This debate led to calls to defund the police, which in turn influenced some school districts to remove or reduce the presence of police officers on school campuses. However, this approach was short-lived in many jurisdictions, as school violence increased following the pandemic and lockdowns. As a result, many schools have reinstated police officers to address the rise in crime on their campuses.
The controversy surrounding Harris’ past comments highlights the complex and sensitive issue of school safety. While some argue that removing police from schools can create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for students, particularly students of color, others believe that their presence is necessary to ensure the safety and security of all students. This debate is likely to continue as the nation grapples with the ongoing challenges of gun violence and school safety.
