Lacey Students Signing Up For Free Firearms Training

LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ - More than 75 Lacey Township High School students have signed up for the New Jersey Second Amendment Rights group's offer of free gun lessons.

As of Friday, 76 students had filled out applications for the free program, said group President Alexander Roubian.

That means 24 of the 100 available slots are left.

The group's offer came after two tumultuous Lacey Board of Education meeting where angry audience members slammed school administrators and board members over the apparent in-school suspension of two advanced placement students, who some say were punished because they posted photos of firearms taken at a gun range on a social media page.

Several representatives from gun rights groups also went to the microphone during the public portion of the March 19 meeting, including Roubian.

"No school board should become a left-wing propaganda machine," he said at the meeting.

But Roubian said in a post on the organization's website recently that he and the group were confident they could develop a "longstanding relationship to work together and not against each other."

"This is why it is important to not always come out guns blazing and threaten costly litigation as an initial reaction," he wrote.

Lacey Schools Superintendent Craig Wigley, who remained largely silent on the controversial gun issue at recent school board meetings, has said he is grateful for the group's offer of free firearms training for Lacey students.

"Although we cannot specifically sanction out of school-sponsored activities by all organizations, we are thankful for the opportunity offered to our students by NJ2AS," Wigley has said.

"In my recent positive discussion with Mr. Roubian from NJ2AS, despite misinformation and the exploitation of a confidential student matter, we agree this is a time for more collaboration and less rhetoric," Wigley said in an email to Patch. "We wish everyone who attends the event a safe and enjoyable time."

The free training event will be offered to the first 100 Lacey students who register. To register, go to the groups website, scroll down to the bottom, fill out the form and hit send.

Safety training, firearm instruction, firearm rentals, ammunition, targets, range time and a catered lunch will be offered, at an estimated cost of $300 per student. School administrators, teachers, and family are also invited.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 20 at the Union Hill Gun Club, 8 Union Hill Road in Monroe Township.

The gun club offered the services and its facilities free of charge.
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