Barrow County offers teachers therapy for school shooting trauma, some say it’s not enough

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BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — Some teachers want the Barrow County School System to reject the latest paid time off proposal, which is meant to help their mental health.

Board members directed the district’s human resources department to research and come up with a plan to help staff recover from the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in September.

On Tuesday night, HR presented a plan that would give staff in the entire district 90 minutes a week to go to therapy.

Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco learned they would need a doctor’s note and a supervisor’s approval. Teachers would not be permitted to use the 90 minutes during times they are scheduled to teach, like planning periods, which means some would have to return to the classroom to teach after their appointments.

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The district would reimburse staff for any out-of-pocket expenses for treatment.

Rachael Lehner is a math teacher who spoke after hearing the proposal.

“My classroom shared a wall with the room where the gunshots began, and I’m haunted by the sounds of those gunshots, the screams of that classroom and all the sounds of the terror that day,” cried Rachael Lehner.

She said she is concerned with the portion of the plan to requires teachers to return to the classroom after the appointment.

“Some of our therapy sessions are intense, and returning to the location of our trauma immediately after is not conducive to healing,” Lehner told the board members.

She acknowledged that teachers have earned paid sick leave that they could use. However, she said teachers consider that part of their pay and can use it to retire early.

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She said a better plan would involve an additional five days off for mental health.

“It could be for days when we feel physically sick from anxiety on the way to work or when we have a panic attack because somebody simply slammed a door,” said Lehner.

Wednesday afternoon, semi trucks hauling portable classrooms showed up to AHS campus. The district bought them to help survivors avoid the hall where the shooting happened. Parents say changes are happening too slow for comfort.

They said their children would like to see some security upgrades immediately like a clear backpack policy.

“They have a hard time concentrating at this point, and the fact that they’re not seeing any difference in their surroundings makes them think it’s definitely capable of happening again,” said Sean Shultz.

Parents have been asking the district for a clear bag policy since October. The district added phones to each classroom and school resource officers. However, the board plans to make a decision on any other changes in the new year.

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