The chancellor of the Oregon University System announced today that the OUS has decided not to appeal the decision of the Oregon Court of Appeals just over a month ago that removed the Oregon Administrative Rule prohibiting firearms on campus. This decision was made by members of the State Board of Higher Education and OUS leaders after deliberation with legal counsel.
OUS had until Nov. 2 to appeal the Court of Appeals original decision made on Sept. 28. That decision stated that the ban prohibiting concealed weapons on campus was invalid due to the State Board of Higher Education not having the authority to create such a rule.
“While we feel strongly that the Court decision is not in the best interests of our students and campus communities, we do not want to go through a long and costly process that may produce the same outcome,” OUS Chancellor George Pernsteiner said in a press release. “Instead, we have started work on internal processes that are already in place or that we can put in place that will maintain a reasonable and satisfactory level of campus safety and security.”
Currently it is still a felony to carry a weapon on campus without the correct permits. OUS also has the ability to control its properties and facilities policies involving such matters. Campuses can still create internal policies and conduct codes surrounding matters, including prohibiting guns in residence halls and sports stadiums.
“Instead we are putting our efforts into looking at policies already in place to limit gun use on campus,” said Di Saunders, director of communications for OUS. “The legal councils of each campus are all working together to look at what each campus already has in place.”
For example, Eastern Oregon University already has a policy prohibiting guns in residence halls. Other schools will now look at this policy and adjust it to fit their respective campuses. Kevin Starrett of the Oregon Firearms Federation, a sub-group of the Oregon Firearms Education Foundation who filed the original suit against the OUS gun ban, is wary of these attempts.
“I by no means have the illusion that this fight is over,” Starrett said. “Although we knew that an appeal would probably not have succeeded anyway.”
Universities are working and will continue to work on changing policies over the next year to reflect the ruling.
“The ultimate goal is to have the highest level of safety on campus,” Saunders said. “Some (changes) can be done quickly, but others will have to wait until contracts are up.”
In the event of a policy change, the specific parties affected will be notified of the changes. For others, terms will be added into contracts that students sign over the next year.
“If a student receives a ticket to a football game, by taking that ticket they are agreeing to not bring firearms to Autzen,” Saunders said.
Starrett knows these policies will create more lawsuits in the long run, but he hopes students will step up and fight for their rights.
“We’ll continue to go after people who are unlawful and taking our rights,” Starrett said. “But we need people whose rights are being denied to step up.”
Since the first ruling, there have been no major incidents on campus involving guns, and Starrett believes this will continue to be the pattern.
“It will be interesting to see how many people who have gone through the process of obtaining a legal conceal carry permit actually do dangerous things to justify these rules,” Starrett said. “There are people who are dangerous. This won’t change that, and it continues to perplex me.”
OUS won’t appeal court decision on firearms on campus
Daily Emerald
November 7, 2011
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