Fla. Court: Universities Cannot Regulate Guns on Campus
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Florida appeals court has ruled that colleges and universities have no power to regulate guns on campus.
In a 12-3 decision, 1st District Court of Appeals ruled Dec. 10 that universities have the power to restrict lawful conduct, such as smoking, on campus, but the power to regulate firearms strictly belongs to the Legislature.
The appeals court reached the decision after University of North Florida (UNF) student Alexandria Lainez, along with Florida Carry Inc., jointly brought a lawsuit against the university. Lainez, a single mother and a concealed carry license holder, regularly carries firearms to protect herself and her son, according to the lawsuit. However, UNF’s policy bans individuals from storing firearms in their vehicles; thus, Lainez was not allowed to carry her weapon during her commute to and from campus, Examiner.com reports.
It is unclear whether UNF plans to appeal the ruling.
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- Concealed Carry Not a Major Issue for Wyo. Colleges
- U. of Central Arkansas: We Don’t Want Guns on Campus
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