Hundreds of protestors outside a Texas school district have been demanding leadership change after the way officials handled an alleged sexual misconduct incident that occurred last month inside a first-grade classroom involving a group of 6-year-olds.

“We want to make sure that they don’t sweep this under the rug,” Heather Gonzales told The Plainview Herald.

Last month, two first-grade students were recorded by another on a school-issued iPad performing sexual acts at South Elementary School in Plainview, Texas. Local media reported the girl student claimed that a boy classmate forced her to perform a sex act on him under a desk while another boy recorded it on an iPad that teachers allow students to use during class.

Gonzales, an older cousin of the young girl involved, told a local news station her cousin tried to escape the situation by hitting the boy with a book until the two other students eventually let her free.

Following the incident, Gonzalez said the family noticed a change in her behavior, showing signs of distress and physical pain in her stomach. The girl then told her family that a boy allegedly exposed himself to her in the lunch line at school a week after the other sexual misconduct occurred inside the classroom.

Plainview Independent School District told local media that the student’s teacher was in the classroom at the time of the incident but did not witness it. The teacher discovered the video the next day after seeing students watch the recorded incident before locking the iPad and returning it to the teacher, who had to have the school’s IT department unlock the device.

District officials said they immediately reported it to police and child protective services and informed the parents and guardians of the two students directly involved in the recording. However, the other family did not hear of the incident until three days because officials claimed they couldn’t be reached.

Plainview ISD Superintendent H.T. Sanchez said a state investigator working with local law enforcement asked district officials “hold confidentiality” until he hears the full story from the students involved.

“All of the steps that we’re required to take, we took,” Sanchez said. “We hope to find a direction with them forward,” Sanchez said. “Definitely for the young people and how we can help them heal and move forward.”

District officials placed the teacher on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

According to the reports, the district addressed it publicly a week later, but residents began finding out about the incident through social media within two days.

Protestors outside the school district administration building said the officials downplayed the incident, lacked transparency with the families, and demanded that the district fire the teacher, the superintendent, and the South Elementary School principal Jennifer Hughey.

“Everything was ‘no comment. I cannot tell you. No comment,’” Gonzales said. “So, you mean to tell me abuse has been happening for a week and a half, and these kids are still at the same desk? My cousin is still at a desk with all boys, having to see her abusers every day.”

Gonzales said the children deserve more protection from the district.

“Are you letting these other parents know their kids could possibly be a victim next?” she said. “I feel like, as a parent, you should know.”

Plainview ISD announced on it’s website classes were canceled on Monday and Tuesday after the administration received violent threats “regarding a matter under investigation,” and due to the mass shooting in Allen, Texas, that claimed the lives of eight people over the weekend.

The school board meets next on May 18.

With mass shootings dominating the news, it feels like the United States has turned into a war zone. Now, Congress must act to protect the American citizenry.

The publicity that comes with these mass shootings drives a predictable response from politicians, celebrities, and even sports teams — a cry for so-called common sense gun laws. President Biden has called for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, universal background checks, and an end to immunity for gun manufacturers. Kim Kardashian and even the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks have also called for more stringent gun laws.

Most of these pleas are uninformed and would do nothing to stop new mass shootings. There are two solutions Congress can address immediately to help stem the tide — eliminate ‘gun-free’ zones and expand concealed carry laws. Liberals don’t want to hear that, but these two moves could go a long way in keeping would-be shooters guessing who’s armed who’s not. 

The data do not support the argument for more and more gun control. Only 12% of mass killings are “mass public shootings. Most mass killings are ‘familicides’ (murders of family members or intimate partners) and felony-related killings (robberies or gang-related ‘turf battles’).” In the U.S., mass public shootings account for less than 0.5% of all gun deaths every year.

But the Democrats insist the answer is a ban on assault weapons and more criminal background checks.

First, let us look at the call to ban “AR-style” assault weapons to reduce mass shootings. According to research provided by the FBI to Pew Research, assault weapons are not the weapon of choice when it comes to gun related crime. In 2020, handguns were involved in 59% of gun murders and non-negligent manslaughters. “Rifles – the category that includes assault weapons – were involved in 3% of firearm murders.” This means that approximately 408 people were killed by “assault weapons” in 2020. For comparison, more than 500 people are killed by hippopotamuses each year and more people die falling out of bed or from volcanic explosions each year than are killed by assault weapons.

Second, criminals, by definition, do not abide by the law — that’s what makes them criminals. Federal law requires a criminal background check for all firearm sales and transfers by licensed dealers. The challenge is that most criminals do not legally obtain their guns. A 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates reported that approximately 1 in 5 (21%) of all state and federal prisoners reported possessing or using a firearm when they committed the offense for which they were serving time. Of those prisoners, only 7% purchased the weapon under their own name from a licensed dealer. More than half of prisoners (56%) had stolen the weapon, found it at the scene of a crime, or obtained it off the street or from the underground market.

Nevertheless, Congress can and should immediately enact two common sense gun laws that can help reduce the number of mass shootings.

First, we must outlaw gun-free zones — areas where legal gun owners are prohibited from carrying a gun. Gun-free zones often include schools, stores, movie theaters, and bars/nightclubs. Criminals are emboldened to attack people in gun-free zones for they know they can kill with impunity until law enforcement arrives. Both the outlet mall in Texas and the Christian school in Nashville were gun-free zones. From 1988 through August 2019, more than “85 percent of Mass Public Shootings have occurred in gun-free zones.” Allowing a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun is simply smart legislation that will save lives.

Second, we must allow for universal recognition of concealed carry licenses. If a person is qualified to carry a concealed weapon in Illinois, she is certainly qualified to carry the same concealed weapon in Rhode Island or New York. We do not require a person to have a driver’s license for each state in which he or she drives. Why do we require someone who has passed all the background checks and completed all the requisite training to seek multiple licenses to carry a concealed weapon.

These common sense gun laws will save lives. If the government is going to take action to reduce gun violence, let them take action that will have a positive impact on the nation.

Jim Nelles is a Navy veteran and supply chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in The Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and The Daily Wire. He has served as a chief procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.