A pro-gun student group challenging the University of Utah, seeking approval for what they view as their right to carry weapons openly on campus, reports the Salt Lake Tribune. University administrators are “circumventing the legislature” and creating their own laws, contends Second Amendment Students of Utah. Under the university’s interpretation of a law that bars firearms on school campuses, “There is an exception for concealed-weapon permit holders. That does not mean a permit holder can carry a weapon openly,” said university general counsel John Morris.
After losing a case in the Utah Supreme Court, university leaders agreed to a legislative compromise in which concealed weapons are allowed everywhere on campus, with “exceptions” for secure hearing rooms and dorm rooms of students who prefer living with roommates who are not licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Gun-rights advocates are not yet ready to declare victory and call for peace. University officials see it differently. “Openly carrying weapons in an academic environment is going to make people very nervous,” Morris said. “As an academic matter, it’s a bad idea.”