LAFAYETTE, La — UPDATE: Earlier this month, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette put up the usual signs it has on all its buildings at the Lafayette Science Museum in Downtown Lafayette.
The University has the authority to designate any building it owns as a fire-arm free zone - which prevents anyone from bringing a gun into that building and onto a 1000-foot area around it.
But UL doesn't own the museum - it just operates it. After some objected to the action, the University spoke with their attorneys and have changed the sign - which now just forbids guns within the building.
Here's the full statement from the school:
Louisiana law, R.S. 14:95.6, requires universities to post signs identifying firearm-free zones at university campus entrances. The state law is ambiguous in defining what constitutes a “campus,” so the University of Louisiana at Lafayette looked to the federal Clery Act, that governs campus crime reporting, for a definition. The Clery Act definition of campus expressly includes property owned or controlled by the university, which led to the posting of the “Safe School Zone” signs.
The University sought additional clarifications from the Acadiana legislative delegation and their legal staff. This led to the determination that under state law, the definition of campus may not extend to property that the University does not own. Accordingly, the University has removed the “Safe School Zone” signs erected at the Science Museum and at the hotels being used as temporary student housing, because they are not owned by the University.
The University works to avoid infringing on any constitutional rights while also ensuring the safety and welfare of our students. Therefore, as authorized by state law, the University has replaced “Safe School Zone” signs with “Weapons-Free Facility” signage that precludes firearms within these facilities but does not establish any zones outside them.
This summer, a new Louisiana law took effect which allows anyone who is allowed to own a firearm to carry it concealed anywhere guns are allowed, without having to get a conceal-carry permit - which required instruction in firearm use and safety.
About six weeks later, the signs went up at the museum. Here's our original story, which ran back on August 12:
The downtown University of Louisiana at Lafayette Science Museum has been designated as a firearm-free zone, the Lafayette Police Department announced.
The Louisiana State Legislature defines a firearm-free zone as the following:
§95.6. Firearm-free zone; notice; signs; crime; penalties
A. A "firearm-free zone" is an area inclusive of any school campus and within one thousand feet of any such school campus, and within a school bus, wherein the possession of firearms is prohibited, except as specifically set forth in Subsection B of this Section and R.S. 14:95.2(C).
According to Lafayette Police, signage has been placed on the building.
The boundary goes out 1,000 feet.
The Lafayette Parish Firearm Free Zones can be found here.
