A weapons-scanner staffing dispute at one Fairfax County school could change how McLean High and Langley High assign the same duty. Eighty-two staff members at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke signed a petition demanding administrators stop requiring teachers to operate OpenGate scanners.

The development, first reported by WTOP, marks a significant escalation. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) classifies scanner operation as an "instructional and professional responsibility," giving principals authority to assign the duty to any teacher. Because the policy is district-wide, the grievance's outcome would set a precedent for all FCPS secondary schools, including McLean High School and Langley High School.

Emily VanDerhoff, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT), told WTOP that staff spent much of the year trying to negotiate with Lake Braddock administrators before the matter moved into a formal grievance process.

Separately, Fairfax Education Unions launched an online campaign on Action Network urging FCPS to end required weapons detection duties for instructional staff. That campaign has generated thousands of letters to the school system, according to WTOP.

As we reported Oct. 1, the FCFT filed a formal grievance on behalf of Lake Braddock staff. Both sides testified before a hearings officer on Sept. 23. No recommendation had been issued as of Oct. 1.

Teachers stationed at the scanners direct students through the system and move items like laptops and water bottles around the machines when they trigger alerts. If a scanner flags a student, the student goes to a secondary screening area. Teachers say the gap before security personnel take over is the problem.

"They believe that it should be a person with a safety and security job who is right at the front of that duty," VanDerhoff told WTOP.

Teachers are not asking FCPS to remove the scanners. They want the assignment to be voluntary, with a stipend offered to teachers who opt in. VanDerhoff pointed to West Springfield High School, where administrators asked for volunteers and filled the scanner slots without mandatory assignments.

Bill McCabe, a 30-year English teacher and union shop steward at Lake Braddock, refused the duty and was formally reprimanded. During a back-to-school night protest on Sept. 2, McCabe told NBC Washington he asked what would happen if a student pulled out a weapon and was told to "press the panic button … and to get out of there."

An FCPS memo cited in NBC Washington's reporting shows the total time commitment is two-and-a-half hours per year. The district says the duty does not affect planning time.

FCPS installed OpenGate detectors in every middle and high school in fall 2025, funded through one-time year-end money and settlement funds from a vaping company class action lawsuit. The district's FAQ page says designated staff receive training on the technology, false alerts and secondary screenings.

FCPS told WTOP it would not comment further until the grievance process is completed. The school board will have the final word.