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UNF sued over banning guns in parking lot
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2787543/posts
Florida University Sued Over Banning Guns in Parking Lot
knightnews.com ^ | 3 October, 2011 | NA
Posted on Tuesday, October 04, 2011 8:00:02 AM by marktwain
The University of North Florida was sued by one of its students Monday, along with a Second Amendment group called Florida Carry, for banning guns from being stored in cars parked on the UNF campus.
?No public college or university has any right to prevent students from having a firearm in their car as long as the firearm is lawfully possessed under state law,? according to a statement released by Florida Carry. ?Any public college or university which attempts to restrict students? rights on this issue is subject to being sued under Florida Firearms Preemption law which was amended this year to make the 24 year old statute easier to enforce by organizations like Florida Carry.?
According to the Florida Carry, the suit was filed on behalf of full-time UNF student Alexandria Lainez, ?a single mother who has received extensive training in firearms and self-defense to be prepared to protect herself and her young child should that horrible need arise.?
The organization says Lainez worries ?that she has to choose between her family?s safety and her education on a daily basis? when attending UNF.
The lawsuit suggests UNF is claiming it has the right to ban guns from being stored in vehicles in UNF parking lots just like a high school in a Florida public school district could. The lawsuit, however, says UNF falls outside that exemption because it is a state university ? and not a local school district.
KnightNews.com just learned of this breaking news. We?ll work to get reaction to this lawsuit from UNF and ask UCF whether this lawsuit could have any impact on UCF?s policy on guns.
According to the UCF Golden Rule, which students are required to follow: ?Possession, storage or use of firearms, explosives, ammunition, other weapons or dangerous articles or substances including, but not limited to, tasers, switchblade knives, and nonlethal weapons such as air soft guns on University-owned or -affiliated property or at University-sponsored/related activities is prohibited.?
In the past, some UCF students have pushed for changes in the law to allow students with concealed weapons permits to carry guns on campus. Some UCF students have staged ?empty holster? protests on the issue in the past.
Check back to KnightNews.com tomorrow for more information on this breaking news.
Re: UNF sued over banning guns in parking lot
This one gives more of the school's perspective.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/article/221527/3/New-Lawsuit-Against-UNF-Pushes-Student-Gun-Rights
Judge Will Decide If You Can Have a Gun In Your Car in UNF Parking Lot
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A new lawsuit accuses UNF of breaking the law. At issue, can people leave guns in their cars in college campus parking lots?
"We're concerned that students will either be subject to random searches in the cars, or students pulled over for speeding on campus will have their car searched and be arrested for carrying a firearm," said Eric Friday, the attorney filing the lawsuit on behalf of UNF student Alexandria Lainez and a group called Florida Carry, Inc.
The suit also names UNF President John Delaney. Delaney told First Coast News, "It's a technicality they're trying to get us on, and guns and college kids aren't a good mix."
As of Oct. 1, a new Florida law assigns fines to violators of the existing law, which basically states there should be uniformity of where you are allowed to carry a concealed weapon.
"UNF according to their student handbook claims that they are a school district and that they can apply an exception under the law as a school district even though schools districts and universities are two distinctly different entities under the law, Friday said.
That's what is triggering this lawsuit: how each party is interpreting the law.
"Universities essentially after Virginia Tech were very restrictive with guns on campus," Delaney said.
Friday said there are two very different opinions and that is why his clients decided to file a lawsuit. "UNF and Florida Carry have a different opinion on whether an exception applies to them. They say it does. We say it doesn't, and we have to let a judge decide," he said.
Delaney said the other 10 colleges and universities in the state have the same policy as UNF. The current law uses the language, "postsecondary schools." Now it will be up to a judge to decide if UNF is exempt under that definition.
I totally, totally agree.
I was actually on the Student Conduct board at UNF. When serious cases came up, the student would have to have a "trial" in front of a jury of other students and I sat on those trials. We had one come in for exactly this -- a student with a concealed weapons permit came onto campus and left his gun unsecured in his car and someone walking by saw it and reported it. I think we ended up suspending him for two years or something crazy long.
I don't even care if this is flameful, but I don't think regular civilians who don't use firearms for their job should be able to have concealed weapons permits. There is just no reason.