Schools
Lake Braddock Teachers Protest Weapon Detection Policy
Fairfax County Public Schools installed the OpenGate weapons detection system in every middle and high school in 2025.
BURKE, VA — Teachers at Lake Braddock Secondary School participated in a "walk-in" Thursday to protest the school's mandatory weapons detection duty policy, FFXNow reports.
Roughly 18 members chanted "Let us teach" as they walked into school before starting their workday at their contracted time. The Fairfax Education Union has filed a grievance on the teachers' behalf. The school board is expected to decide the grievance on Nov. 18.
The union argues that the policy is not consistent across Fairfax County Public Schools. Some schools allow teachers to volunteer, while others offer a small financial incentive. At Lake Braddock, teachers must operate the OpenGate weapons detection system on a rotating schedule throughout the school day.
Find out what's happening in Burkefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The union is promoting a community petition that had nearly 3,400 signatures as of Nov. 6.
Find out what's happening in Burkefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.