A simple mistake?

Thursday, November 10, 2005

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Click here for an enlarged image of Brady.

A Hillsborough County teacher is accused of bringing a loaded weapon to school grounds.

Margaret Brady has been an English teacher at Armwood High School since 1982. However, she's in hot water after the school district said she violated its zero-tolerance policy for weapons.

Former students such as Amanda Lucas worked with Brady on the school's steering program. When she first heard the news, Lucas was surprised to find out what Brady had been accused of doing.

"Anyone that knows Ms. Brady would look at that and first be shocked by it and then go, that's not anything Ms. Brady was intending to do," Lucas said.

It may have been a simple mistake, but it could have created a much bigger problem, according to school officials. Brady had apparently been dealing with a number of break-ins at her home and was carrying a loaded firearm in her car for protection.

However, she forgot to take the .22-caliber handgun out of her car last week when she went to school. On that same day, she took her car in for students to work on during an auto class. That's when one student found the loaded gun in the car.

He showed another student before the incident was reported.

"There are a lot of really good reasons why you don't bring a gun on campus and this one is up there," Hillsborough County Schools PIO Steve Hegarty said. "This would be at the top of the list today."

Brady is on paid administrative leave. She also faces disciplinary action up to and including being fired for violating the district's zero-tolerance policy for weapons.

Brady did not return calls from Bay News 9.

Members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office questioned Brady about the case. She was not arrested, nor were any charges filed against her. The case is under investigation by the state attorney's office.

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