A federal court has ruled in favor of the University of Missouri to uphold its ban on carrying concealed guns on campus, according to a Columbia Daily Tribune report.
While backing the board of curators rule prohibiting firearms on campus, Judge Jeff Harris said the ban ensures safety of students on campus and does not violate the state constitution’s guarantee of the right to bear arms.
The ruling was made in the lawsuit filed by the school’s Associate Professor Royce de R. Barondes who alleged the UM Board of Curators and UM System President Tim Wolfe of violating the state constitution and the second and 14th amendments to the federal Constitution.
“To reach a result based on something other than the evidence adduced at trial would be engaging in judicial activism, which the court will not do. The court must reach a judgment based on the evidence adduced at trial, and the evidence adduced at trial supports a finding that the rule is constitutional,” the judge wrote in his ruling.
In August 2014, the state of Missouri made an amendment to gun rights that called for “strict scrutiny” on any future restrictions on the right to “bear arms, ammunition, and accessories typical to the normal function of such arms.”
Earlier this year, the campus police Chief Doug Schwandt and the University of Missouri St. Louis Police Chief Dan Freet testified before the court saying that there would be a surge in violence if concealed weapons were allowed on campus.
Meanwhile, the university has welcomed the court’s ruling and reiterated its stand on the safety of its community members.
“The university vigorously supports the Second Amendment, and we are pleased that the court found the firearm policy constitutional,” the university spokesperson said in a statement.
“The safety of our universities is among our highest priorities; we believe the court’s decision serves the best interests of our students, staff, faculty members and others who spend time on campus. This policy has worked well for decades to support safe environments for all to learn, live and work together to carry out our higher education mission.”
