Attorney General Ken Paxton today commended a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit after it upheld a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit by three University of Texas at Austin professors who challenged Senate Bill 11, the campus carry law. The professors claimed that the legislation passed by the Texas Legislature in 2015 would have a “chilling effect” and stifle discussion in their classrooms.
“The lawsuit was filed because the professors disagreed with the law, not because they had any legal substance to their claim,” Attorney General Paxton said. “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.”
In July 2017, a U.S. District Court dismissed the professors’ complaints on the grounds that they were baseless and without legal standing. Senate Bill 11 took effect August 1, 2016.
View a copy of today's 5th Circuit ruling here.