Local Teacher Arrested for Packing

From WECT.com NOVEMBER 23, 2005 -- A Pender County teacher has been arrested on a felony charge after deputies found an unloaded revolver in her car on school property. "It's resulted in her termination and an investigation will determine what action we take," says Superintendent Ted Kanuika. Barbara Rhoades' car was searched Tuesday afternoon. That's where authorities found an unloaded 38-caliber Smith and Wesson handgun under her driver's seat. Bullets were in the console. Her car was parked just a few yards away from the student parking lot. "It wasn't an act of her waving the gun, brandishing the gun or anything of that nature but it's still zero tolerance for weapons on school property. So it's just a situation where there was in violation of the law and we had no choice but to enforce," says Major Keith Hinkle. Rhoades was charged with felony possesion of a weapon on educational property. She was released on a $2,000 unsecured bond. This incident falls under the 15 grounds of dismissal used by North Carolina school systems for all of its employees. Once the investigation is complete the superintendent has the option to turn this incident over to the school board. They will decide whether Rhoades will keep her job. I don't agree with the law that makes it illegal to have any gun on school property including toy guns. The gun was unloaded and out of sight in her car. I don't blame a woman for wanting to have protection with her. The question that isn't answered here is how did they find out she had the gun in the first place.