Kutztown University will no longer be a weapons-free campus under a policy adopted to comply with the Second Amendment right to bear arms, university officials said Thursday.
The university administrative council recently lifted the ban in favor of a policy of allowing weapons to be carried in open areas on campus.
The new policy has been in effect since April 19, when it was adopted by the administrative council.
KU spokesman Matt Santos emphasized that the ban on weapons remains in effect in campus buildings, including dormitories, dining halls and classrooms.
The ban also still applies at sporting, entertainment, educational and other events sponsored by the university.
In an open letter Thursday, Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, university president, explained that the Pennsylvania Office of General Counsel advised presidents of the 14 state-run universities that a blanket ban on weapons was legally unenforceable.
"While I am cognizant of concerns associated with this change, we must follow the advice of legal counsel and do what is necessary to comply with the Second Amendment," Cevallos said. "I assure you we have done everything to implement the strongest policy possible while staying in compliance with constitutional rights."
The university had not announced the new policy until Thursday, when it was made public by a Kutztown-based website, Raging Chicken Press.
The administrative council that adopted the policy is made up of student, faculty and administration leaders.
Under the new policy, people with gun licenses can carry a weapon in open areas on campus. The campus chief of police can grant exceptions allowing guns to be carried elsewhere on campus "for compelling reasons."
Despite the policy change, the Uniform Firearms Act of 1995 would bar many KU students from carrying concealed weapons on campus. The law requires a license to carry a concealed weapon and applicants must be 21 or older.
The law on weapons carried openly is less restrictive. Anyone at least 18 years old can display firearms in public places without obtaining a license, according to Berks County Sheriff Eric J. Weaknecht, who is responsible for issuing gun licenses in the county.
Open carry does not apply in schools, courthouses, federal facilities, state parks and other areas, including the city of Philadelphia.
Copyright 2013 - Reading Eagle, Pa.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
