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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Brady United
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CO Supreme Court to Decide Whether Colleges May Prohibit Guns on Campus

The Colorado Supreme Court today agreed to decide whether the University of Colorado will continue to be able to protect student safety by prohibiting firearms at the University.

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and Colorado gun violence prevention groups had filed a friend of the court brief urging the Court to hear the case and overturn an April 2010 appeals court ruling allowing a lawsuit to proceed that seeks to

WASHINGTON

The Colorado Supreme Court today agreed to decide whether the University of Colorado will continue to be able to protect student safety by prohibiting firearms at the University.

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and Colorado gun violence prevention groups had filed a friend of the court brief urging the Court to hear the case and overturn an April 2010 appeals court ruling allowing a lawsuit to proceed that seeks to force guns onto the University's campuses.

Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Center stated, "We are pleased that the Court will hear this case. We urge the Court to allow the University of Colorado to continue to protect student safety by prohibiting armed students and visitors. Students and visitors armed with semiautomatic weapons have no place on campus."

In urging the Colorado Supreme Court to hear this case, the Brady Center argued that the University's policy is a constitutional and reasonable response to the grave dangers posed by armed students and campus visitors and is in keeping with the policy of most universities. The Brady Center urged the Court to uphold the University's gun policy, which protects students from the dangers of guns on campus.

The case before the court is Students for Concealed Carry v. The Regents of the University of Colorado. El Paso County District Court Judge G. David Miller last year dismissed the lawsuit, rejecting SCC's attempt to force the University to allow students to carry loaded, concealed guns on campus. In his opinion, Judge Miller noted that the University Regents had determined that the presence of guns on campus "threatens the tranquility of the education environment and contributes in an offensive manner to an unacceptable climate of violence." In April 2010, the Colorado Court of Appeals disagreed with the trial court and held that the case could proceed.

No Gun Left Behind: The Gun Lobby's Campaign to Push Guns Into Colleges and Schools, highlights the severe dangers posed by guns on campus. The report describes why bringing guns onto campus would dramatically increase the danger to students and faculty. Studies show that college gun owners are more likely than other students to binge drink, use cocaine or crack, be arrested for a DUI, vandalize property, and get in trouble with the police. Every year about 1,100 college students commit suicide, and another 24,000 attempt to do so. Given that 90% of attempted suicides with guns are successful, easy access to guns on campus will likely lead to an increase in suicides.

Edward Ramey of the Denver law firm of Isaacson Rosenbaum P.C. is representing the Brady Center pro bono. Other groups joining the Brady Center on the brief are the Colorado Ceasefire and the Greater Denver Million Mom March.

Brady United formerly known as The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and its legislative and grassroots affiliate, the Brady Campaign and its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, is the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence. We are devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.