Utah teacher accused of pulling gun during drill resigns

MIDVALE — A teacher at Hillcrest High School has resigned and is under investigation after allegedly pulling out a gun in front of his classroom during a lockdown drill.

The 40-year-old teacher had not been arrested or charged as of Tuesday. But a spokesman for the Canyons School District confirmed to KSL that the teacher resigned on Monday, and Unified police have confirmed that the case was forwarded to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office for consideration. KSL is not naming the former teacher at this time.

On Sept. 30, administrators at Hillcrest High, 7350 S. 900 East, held a lockdown drill that required classroom doors to be locked while teachers and students sheltered inside.

Canyons spokesman Jeff Haney said all high schools in the district must do several drills throughout the school year, including a "lockdown drill." He said Hillcrest conducted the same drill last September.

"It's regular practice to give advance notice (to faculty and students) when we are conducting any type of drill," Haney said, noting that the drill on Sept. 30 was no exception.

A 40-year-old health sciences teacher, who police say has a valid concealed weapons permit, "pulled his concealed firearm from either a cabinet or his holster and pointed it at the door of his classroom," according to court documents.

As Hillcrest administrators, with assistance from Unified police, checked doors to make sure each classroom was in compliance with the drill, the teacher "pointed his weapon at them through the door. The door of the classroom is equipped with a slim window so the (people) on the outside of the classroom had a clear view of the ongoings inside the classroom. According to witness statements, (the teacher) was holding his weapon with his non-dominant hand, kneeling behind a table, in view of the window, pointing the weapon at the door and shouting the phrase 'This is not a communication device,'" a search warrant affidavit states.

Police say 27 students were in the classroom, many of whom knew about the drill, "but questioned themselves after witnessing (the teacher's) extreme behavior," according to the affidavit.

The teacher claimed to police "he had no knowledge of an upcoming drill; however, (he) was unable to describe what was occurring outside of his classroom that would have led him to believe there was an imminent threat, thus justifying his actions," police stated in their affidavit.

Haney said the teacher was placed on paid administrative leave that day and not allowed to return to the school pending the outcome of an internal investigation. He added that teachers are allowed to have a gun with them if they have a valid permit, but referred KSL to police for questions regarding when a teacher can brandish a weapon at school.

Haney said the students in the classroom were offered counseling services that day and their parents were notified. He said the district fully cooperated with the police investigation, including service of the search warrant.

The teacher has been with the Canyons District since 2018.

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