Federal judge denies UT professors' request to block implementation of campus carry [View all]

[sarisataka]

Federal judge denies UT professors' request to block implementation of campus carry

AUSTIN — An effort by three University of Texas at Austin professors to block the implementation of the state's divisive campus carry law has failed, after a federal judge on Monday denied their request for a preliminary injunction.

U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel, ruling just two days before classes begin at UT, rejected the key arguments made so far against the firearms measure. Among those were the notions that allowing guns in classrooms violates free speech and equal protection rights.

Though the lawsuit to overturn the law remains alive, the judge said the professors had "failed to establish a substantial likelihood of ultimate success on the merits of their asserted claims."

"It appears to the court that neither the Texas Legislature nor the Board of Regents has overstepped its legitimate power to determine where a licensed individual may carry a concealed handgun in an academic setting," he wrote in an 11-page opinion.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20160822-federal-judge-denies-ut-professors-request-to-block-implementation-of-campus-carry.ece

This ruling affects an injuction the three professors requested until a full trial can be held.