Judge Denies UT-Austin Professors' Attempt to Block Campus Carry
A federal judge has denied three University of Texas at Austin professors’ initial attempt to keep guns out of their classrooms under the state’s campus carry law.
U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ruled that the professors, who had sought a preliminary injunction to block implementation of the law, had failed to establish their likelihood for success. UT students resume classes on Wednesday, and the professors' case will continue to work its way through the court while the law remains in effect.
The professors, Jennifer Lynn Glass, Lisa Moore and Mia Carter, filed their lawsuit against the university and the attorney general’s office. In the suit, the professors said the possibility of guns on campus could stifle class discussion in their courses, which touch on emotional issues like gay rights and abortion. They argued that was a violation of students' First Amendment right to free speech.
Earlier this month, after the case had a preliminary hearing in federal court, lawyers for the state asked that the suit be thrown out. UT-Austin joined the state, suggesting that the "incidental impact" on free speech does not violate the First Amendment.
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2016/08/22/judge-denies-professors-attempt-block-campus-carry/
