Three University of Texas professors challenged the state's laws on concealed carry. Unfortunately for the professors, a panel of three judges for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday rejected the case.
The three liberal arts professors brought the case about because of First Amendment concerns. The panel, however, felt they did not prove their case.
According to the faculty members, controversial topics, such as abortion, are touched upon. Students having the ability to carry concealed on campus would keep students from having an open dialogue about said subjects, Guns.com reported.
The professors also said their First Amendment rights are being trampled on because they're no longer allowed to forbid students from carrying firearms, which the professors say stifles their free speech.
The majority opinion concluded that one of the professors “cannot manufacture standing by self-censoring her speech based on what she alleges to be a reasonable probability that concealed-carry license holders will intimidate professors and students in the classroom.”
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The lawsuit was initially filed against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton who feels the lawsuit is about personal politics not Constitutional concerns.
“The lawsuit was filed because the professors disagreed with the law, not because they had any legal substance to their claim,” Paxton said in a statement. “The right to keep and bear arms is guaranteed for all Americans, including college students, and the 5th Circuit’s decision prevents that right from being stripped away by three individuals who oppose the law enacted by the Legislature.”
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