|
http://www.wideopenspaces.com/oh ... etter_7.10%20-%20OH
Why was Ohio State University sued by gun groups?
Several gun rights advocacy groups have filed a suit against Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court on July 5, 2014, according to Cleveland.com.
The filing groups, Students for Concealed Carry Foundation Inc. and Ohioans for Concealed Carry, claim that the university’s ban on the possession of firearms by students, faculty, and staff on campus is unlawful and should not be allowed to stand.
It is the opinion of the concealed carry advocacy groups that the ban on Ohio State’s campus goes against the Constitutional rights of not only the students, staff, faculty, and employees of the school, but also those of visitors and the general public.
They also say the ban effectively disarms students on their way to and from campus in the historically high-crime area of the University District. Despite the fact that Ohio law says concealed carry permit holders are allowed to store firearms in a vehicle on the OSU campus, there could be administrative sanctions, including expulsion, taken against a student due to the Ohio State Student Code of Conduct.
According to Michael R. Moran, the Columbus-area attorney representing the groups, the penalties faced by students could even include a blemished academic record which “can virtually guarantee the disciplined student may never earn an accredited degree.”
The gun groups also cite a 2012 article from the Ohio State student newspaper, The Lantern, in the lawsuit in which university president E. Gordon Gee was quoted as saying, “I’m in charge, and we’re not going to do it,” in reference to allowing concealed firearms on campus.
The main argument that the gun groups fall back on is that Ohio law should be held above the opinions of campus officials.
RELATED: Accused Ohio Poacher Fights Hefty Fine from Department of Natural Resources
The groups are seeking a judgment which would make the university rules unenforceable and a permanent injunction that eliminates the rules in addition to attorney fees.
Students for Concealed Carry is a national non-profit organization with more than 43,000 members who believe that concealed carry permit holders should be afforded the same personal protection on college campuses as they are virtually everywhere else.
To read the lawsuit as it was filed, click here.
|
|