A federal judge denied an injunction Monday that would have temporarily blocked the implementation of Texas’ campus carry law.
The move was led by three University of Texas at Austin professors, who argue the law, which allows for the carrying of weapons on campus, infringes on their right to free speech under the First Amendment and violates the Due Process and the Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The professors said guns could suppress class discussion, especially regarding sensitive topics like sexuality.
Judge Lee Yeakel rejected these arguments, saying the professors “failed to establish a substantial likelihood of ultimate success on the merits of their asserted claims.” The lawsuit filed by the professors to overturn the law, however, remains active.
The campus carry law permits those who are at least 21 years old to carry a concealed handgun into most campus buildings if they have a license. License holders have been allowed to concealed carry on public university grounds (but not into the buildings) since 1995.